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LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 

FRANCIS  M.  and  ALICE 
DE  FOREST  SEDGWICK 
in  memory  of 

CHARLES  NOYES  DE  FOREST 


r) 


^ 


// 


TWO    TEARS 


CALIFOEI^IA. 


MART  OO^E. 


-SATITH     ILXjXJSTK,-A.TI01TS. 


CHICAGO: 

S.  C.   GRIGGS   AND    COMPANY. 

1876. 


COPTKIGHT,  1876, 

By  S.  C.  GRIGGS  AND  COMPANY. 


KNIGHT  &  LEONARD,  PRINTERS,  CHICAGO. 


£lectrot7p«d  b;  A.  Z££S£  &  CO., 
Chicago. 


TO 


OOL.    JOHI^    MILLS, 


THIS   BOOK    IS    INSCRIBED    BY 

THE  AUTHOR, 

WITH    REGRET    THAT    THE    TRIBUTE    IS    NOT 

MORE    "WORTHY    OF    HIil    AT    WHOSE 

FEET    IT    IS    LAID. 


PEEFACE. 


THE  "  Star  of  Empire "  that  has  been  so  long 
traveling  on  its  westward  waj  has  at  last  reached 
the  end  of  its  jonrney,  and  taken  a  fixed  position.  It 
stands  over  a  fair  land ;  the  best,  perhaps,  all  things 
considered,  that  it  has  looked  down  upon  in  all  its 
course.  Not  that  perfection  is  found  even  here.  It  is 
the  law  in  this  world  that  good  shall  never  be  unmixed. 
But,  in  the  case  of  California,  when  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  are  laid  in  the  opposite  sides  of  the 
balance,  the  former  will  be  found  to  weigh  down  the 
latter  to  a  degree  that  is  scarcely  to  be  seen  elsewhere. 
There  are  just  now  important  reasons  for  directing 
attention  to  this  comparatively  new  State.  These  are 
found  in  the  disturbances  that  are  now  prevailing  in 
the  commercial  and  industrial  interests  in  the  eastern 
and  older  parts  of  the  country.  The  wheel  of  fortune 
is  revolving  with  unusual  rapidity.  Those  who  were 
at  the  top  yesterday  are  at  the  bottom  to-day.  To  those 
who  are  by  these  changes  despoiled  of  home  and  of 
goods,  new  conditions  may  be  desirable,  and  they  may 
be  looking  with  eager  eyes  to  see  M'here  they  can  best 
find  other  foot-holds  from  whence  they  can  make  a  fresh 


VI  PREFACE. 

start  in  the  race  of  life.  To  such  —  to  all  who  for  any 
reason  desire  to  go  and  seek  their  fortunes  in  the 
West,  California  presents  strong  attractions.  That 
these  attractions  are  appreciated  by  many  is  proved  by 
the  fact  that  during  the  year  1875  sixtj^  thousand 
emigrants  found  their  way  into  the  State  —  a  greater 
number  than  had  ever  before  gone  in  the  same  length 
of  time. 

The  permanency  of  first  impressions  is  strikingly 
shown  by  the  very  common  impression  in  regard  to 
California.  It  was  first  known  to  the  world  as  a  gold- 
producing  country,  and  men  are  slow  to  learn  that 
while  gold  continues  to  be  a  very  considerable  product 
it  is  far  exceeded  in  value  and  extent  by  other  indus- 
tries. The  gold  product  is  now  principally  obtained 
by  quartz-mining,  which  requires  large  capital  to  con- 
duct it.  There  is  no  longer  any  furor  connected  with 
the  business,  nor  are  fortunes  now  made  in  a  day. 
Mining  is  conducted  as  a  legitimate  business,  of  which 
the  average  yield  has  been,  for  the  last  few  years,  about 
twenty  millions-  of  dollars  per  annum.  As  a  bullion- 
producing  State,  including  gold  and  silver,  California 
has  fallen  into  the  second  place  —  it  is  outranked  by 
Nevada,  which,  in  1875,  produced  more  than  twice  as 
much  as  the  Golden  State.  But  the  increase  in  agri- 
cultural products  is  more  than  an  ofiset  for  the  falling 
off  in  this  direction. 


PREFACE.  Vll 

The  increase  in  agricultural  products  has  been  so 
rapid  as  to  seem  almost  a  marvel.  Until  1861  flour 
was  imported  for  home  use ;  now  California  yields 
the  largest  wheat  product  of  any  State  in  the  Union, 
and  is  second  only  to  I^ew  York  in  the  production, 
of  fruit.  The  yield  in  wine  for  1875  was  ten  mill- 
ions of  gallons.  One-fifth  of  all  the  wool  grown  in 
the  United  States  is  furnished  by  California;  during 
the  current  year  it  is  estimated  that  the  product  will 
reach  the  enormous  amount  of  fifty  millions  of  pounds. 
Then,  the  possible  industries  are  so  many  and  various 
that  it  would  seem  impossible  for  anybody  to  fail  to 
find  something  to  suit  his  taste  and  his  capacities. 

There  has  been  much  that  was  partial  and  untrue 
written  in  regard  to  California.  The  writer  of  the  fol- 
lowing pages  lays  no  claim  to  infallibility,  but  does 
claim  that  during  the  two  years  spent  in  California,  she 
made  an  honest  eftbrt  to  see  things  as  they  really  were, 
and  has  tried  to  describe  them  as  they  appeared. 
Bought  up  by  no  corporation,  never  dead-headed,  pro- 
tected by  insignificance  from  all  ovations  whatsoever, 
there  was  nothing  to  cast  a  glamour  over  the  eyes  or 
bias  the  judgment  except  so  far  as  the  loving-kindness 
of  friends  brought  content  to  the  heart,  and  opened 
pleasanter  and  fuller  facilities  for  seeing  and  knowing. 
Great  care  was  taken  to  examine  and  compare  testi- 
mony, and  sift  out,  if  possible,  the  chaff*.     To  what 


Vni  PREFACE. 

extent  the  effort  has  been  successful,  those  must  judge 
whose  superior  knowledge  enables  them  to  decide. 

The  author  takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging  her 
indebtedness  to  "  The  Natural  Wealth  of  California," 
by  T.  F.  Cronise,  for  valuable  information  embodied  in 
this  work ;  also  to  a  lecture  by  the  Hon.  S.  Garfield  for 
hints  in  regard  to  climate,  and  to  The  California  Immi- 
grant Union  for  the  prompt  and  generous  manner  in 
which  they  have  responded  to  appeals  for  aid. 

M.  C. 

Marietta,  Ohio,  April,  1876. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  I. 
Climate 1 

Temperature  at  Olympia  and  San  Francisco;  difference  in 
climate  between  the  eastern  and  western  sides  of  the  con- 
tinent ;  currents  of  air ;  influence  of  the  Pacific ;  course  of 
winds ;  influence  of  the  Gulf  stream ;  Japan  current. 

CHAPTER  II. 
Rain-fall 9 

Variation  in  rain-faU ;  secret  of  the  diversity ;  effect  of  the 
Pacific  winds  and  mountain  ranges  ;  bUghting  north  mnd ; 
land  and  sea  climate  ;  climate  of  San  Francisco ;  affected  by 
situation ;  trend  of  coast ;  sea-breeze ;  its  deUcious,  healthful 
properties ;  balance  between  sea-breeze  and  sunshine ;  rainy 
season;  transparent  atmosphere;  mean  annual  temperature 
on  the  coast ;  trade  winds ;  heat  in  the  valleys ;  absence  of 
thunder-storms. 

CHAPTER   III. 
History 24 

Signification  of  the  term  California ;  discovery  of  the  coun- 
try; of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco;  Geography  of  the  eigh- 
teenth centuiy;  Spaniards  on  the  Pacific  coast;  their  mis- 
sionaiy  zeal ;  estal^lishment  of  missions  in  Upper  California ; 
patriarchal  system ;  mode  of  converting  the  Indians ;  their 
subjection  to  slaveiy ;  their  painful  toil ;  their  scanty  reward  ; 
wealth  of  the  missions ;  exports ;  tallow  and  hides ;  trade 
with  Boston ;  luxuiy  of  the  Spaniards  ;  dwellings  ;  idleness  ; 
decay  of  the  Spanish  power;  impoverishment  of  the  mis- 
sions ;  oppi-ession  of  the  Indians ;  their  rapid  decrease ; 
fading  before  the  pale-faces. 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Geography  and  Topography 41 

Tlu'ee  parallel  mountain  ranges  in  the  United  States ;  over- 
land route  to  California;  Platte  river;  Rocky  Mountains; 
rivers  flo\ving  into  the  Pacific;  Sierra  Nevada  mountains; 
their  mineral  wealth ;  valleys  and  peaks ;  Coast  range ; 
scenery ;  Monte  Diablo  range ;  union  with  Nevadas  and 
Coast  range. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Southern  California 53 

Area  of  the  State  ;  southern  California  ;  San  Diego  county ; 
Colorado  desert ;  dry  lake  and  hot  springs ;  sudden  issue  of  a 
spring ;  San  Diego  city ;  the  old  mission ;  prospects  of  the 
city ;  climate ;  San  Bernardino  county  ;  Death  VaUey ;  Soda 
lake ;  town  of  San  Bernardino ;  climate  and  products  of  the 
country ;  Riverside  colony ;  crops  and  indgation ;  Los  An- 
geles county;  Americans  and  Califomians;  orange  culture; 
value  of  the  fruit ;  cost  of  cultivation ;  orange  orchards ; 
sheep  raising ;  fruit  fann ;  vineyards ;  German  colony ;  San 
Buenaventura ;  Santa  Clara  valley ;  oil  regions ;  stranded 
whale ;  configuration  of  coast ;  Santa  Barbara ;  oil  spring  in 
the  ocean ;  thanksgiving  sermon ;  pepper  tree ;  olives ; 
pickling  olives ;  making  olive  oil ;  old  olive  trees ;  church 
architecture ;  patriarchal  grape-vine  ;  Santa  Barbara ;  adobe 
houses ;  population ;  route  by  sea  and  land  ;  an  old  settler ; 
San  Luis  Obispo ;  Salinas  valley ;  rapid  riding ;  California 
stage  drivers. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Great  Valley 100 

The  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  rivers  ;  rain-fall ;  drouth  ; 
crops ;  Tulare  lake ;  irrigation  in  the  Old  World ;  San 
Joaquin  King's  River  Canal  and  Irrigation  Company ;  facili- 
ties for  irrigation  ;  the  Great  VaUey  ;  advantages  of  canals 
and  ditches. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Reclamation 110 

Fertility  of  reclaimed  lands ;  tule  lands. 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Northern  California 114 

Tlie  redwood ;  Humboldt  county ;  a  charming  stage  ride ; 
Eureka ;  Mount  Shasta ;  lower  soda  springs ;  a  beautiful 
dayspring ;  Castle  rocks ;  Sacramento  river ;  gray  moun- 
tains; Pitt  river;  stage  robbery;  Mount  Shasta. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

A  Ranch  in  the  Upper  Sacramento  Valley    .       .        .  127 
Origin  of  the  Kern  ranch ;  Sacramento  valley ;  cutting  grain ; 
sowing  grain ;  laborers ;  wild  oats ;  cattle  and  hogs ;  sheep 
growing  ;  products  ;  climate. 

CHAPTER  X. 

A  Fruit  Ranch  on  the  Sacramento  River       .        .        .  1C56 
Sending  fruit  to  market ;  prices  of  fruits ;  tule  lands  ;  daiiy 
products;  Chinese  laborers. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Chapter  for  Tourists 142 

Climatic  conditions ;  choice  of  seasons ;  route  to  southern 
California ;  sights  in  San  Francisco ;  Cliff"  House  ;  Oakland ; 
University  of  California ;  bay  of  San  Francisco ;  Golden 
Gate ;  San  Jose ;  a  trip  to  Monte  Diablo ;  the  Geysers ; 
chicken  broth ;  Mount  St.  Helena ;  Pluton  canon ;  Geyser 
canon ;  Foss,  the  driver ;  Pescadero ;  Santa  Cruz ;  Ying,  the 
Chinaman ;  Lake  Tahoe ;  cost  of  living. 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

A  Chapter  for  Settlers        . 166 

Necessity  of  energy  and  economy ;  fruit  raising ;  large 
ranch  system ;  jute  wheat  sacks ;  cotton  raising ;  rice 
culture ;  coffee ;  tea ;  dairy  business  ;  sheep  raising  ;  emi- 
grating in  colonies ;  skilled  labor ;  security  of  property ; 
school  privileges. 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Chinaman  in  California 177 

Value  of  his  help ;  Cliina  self-civilized ;  antiquity  of  its 
civilization  ;  Chinese  journalism ;  Confucius  ;  his  doctrine ; 
false  estimate  of  woman ;  fidelity ;  versatility ;  Chinese 
companies  ;  festivals ;  new  year  ;  Chinese  theatres ;  Chinese 
temples ;  gods  and  goddesses ;  Rwau  Tae ;  mode  of  worship. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  Trip  to  the  Yosemite 196 

Distance  from  San  Francisco ;  scenery  by  the  way ;  AVhite 
and  Hatch's;  Clark's;  the  Big  Trees;  the  Mariposa  grove; 
"Alek"  ;  solitude  of  the  trees;  Grizzly  Giant;  snow  plant; 
horseback  riding;  "Jocko";  music  of  the  pines;  Peregoy's ; 
picturesque  cavalcade;  Inspiration  Point;  entrance  to  the 
valley;  Yosemite  fall ;  ElCapitan;  Legend  of  Tu-tock-a-nu- 
lah  ;  Bridal  Veil  fall ;  Cathedral  rocks ;  Three  Brothers ; 
Sentinel  E.ock  ;  Half-Dome ;  Mirror  lake ;  vibrations  of  Yo- 
semite fall ;  western  exit  from  the  valley ;  Merced  river ; 
Vernal  faU  ;  Nevada  falls  ;  Cloud's  Rest ;  a  disappointing 
lunch ;  last  view  from  Glacier  Point  and  Sentinel  Dome ; 
Captain  Folsom,  the  guide ;  parting  praise  of  Alek ;  origin 
of  the  valley ;  Hetch-hetchy  valley ;  expense  of  the  tour  to 
the  Yosemite. 


ILLUSTRATIOTTS. 


Map  op  California 

The  Golden  Gate 

The  Old  Mission  Church 

Mirror  Lake,  Watkins'  and  Cloud's  Rest 

Bridal  Veil  Fall 

Cathedral  Rocks 

Sentinel  Rock 

El  Capitan  (3,300  feet  high) 

The  Devil's  Canon,  view  looking  up 

Vernal  Falls  (350  feet  high) 

The  Yosemite  Falls 

Alley  in  Chinese  Quarter    .        .        .       . 
General  View  of  the  Yosemite 
Plan  of  the  Yosemite  Valley 
The  Sentinels,  Calaveras  Grove    . 

A  Monster 

Nevada  Falls  (700  feet  high) 


Front 

Frontispiece 

0pp.  Page  30 

50 

74 

90 

106 

130 

154 

170 

186 

194 

198 

202 

219 

226 

230 


TWO  YEAES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CLIMATE. 

TEMPERATURE  and  rainfall  are  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  climate.  This  twofold  influence  affects  so 
potently  the  conditions  of  life  in  California,  that  some  con- 
sideration of  the  subject,  in  the  way  of  a  preliminary, 
seems  quite  in  order. 

That  isothermal  lines  stretched  across  the  continent  do 
not  coincide  with  parallels  of  latitude  is  a  fact  well  estab- 
lished, and  yet  is  more  generally  accepted  than  understood. 
The  northern  end  of  the  island  of  Vancouver,  in  latitude 
51°,  has  the  same  winter  temperature  as  Norfolk,  Va.,  in 
latitude  37°.  In  Olympia,  at  the  head  of  Puget  Sound, 
latitude  49°,  bouquets  containing  fifteen  or  twenty  varie- 
ties of  flowers  are  gathered  from  the  open  grounds  to 
ornament  the  Christmas  tables,  and  the  inhabitants  are 
obliged  to  send  to  the  Aleutian  islands,  eighteen  hundred 
miles  away,  to  get  their  supply  of  ice  for  summer  use. 

San  Francisco,  in  latitude  38°,  has  a  mean  annual  tem- 
perature of  56°  Fahrenheit.  All  that  is  implied  in  this  is 
not  at  once  evident.  There  are  but  eight  degrees  differ- 
ence between  the  mean  temperature  of  the  summer  and 


2  TWO   TEARS   Ilf   CALIFORN"IA. 

the  winter.  Although  there  are  occasional  frosts,  the 
ground  is  never  stiffened  by  cold,  and  ice  is  never  formed 
thicker  than  the  glass  of  the  window,  while  delicate  exotics, 
such  as  fuchsias,  calla-lilies,  verbenas,  pinks,  geraniums  and 
roses,  continue  to  delight  the  eye  and  gladden  the  heart 
by  spreading  out  their  beauty  in  the  open  grounds  all  the 
year  round.  Even  when  the  frost  comes  it  does  not  seem 
to  affect  the  flowers  and  plants  as  it  does  elsewhere.  Jack 
Frost  may  sprinkle  the  rosebush  all  over  with  his  white 
crystals,  and  almost  encase  the  pinks  and  lilies  in  a  cover- 
ing of  white,  yet  when  the  sun  has  compelled  him  to  with- 
draw and  has  scattered  his  handiwork,  the  flowers  hold  up 
their  heads  as  proudly  and  wear  their  beautiful  tints  as 
gaily  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  It  may  be  that 
enough  caloric  has  been  stored  away  in  the  earth  about 
the  roots,  while  the  sun  was  shining,  to  keep  the  plants 
from  being  chilled,  and  they  have,  as  a  consequence,  an  un- 
usual power  of  resistance. 

In  all  climatic  conditions  the  difference  between  the 
eastern  and  western  sides  of  the  continent  is  so  great  that 
there  are  few  observers  so  superficial  as  not  to  inquire. 
What  occasions  this  dissimilarity?  Why  does  nature  smile 
so  much  more  benignantly  ujdou  the  latter  than  the  former  ? 
The  fact  that  said  nature  is  of  the  feminine  gender,  and 
ought  not,  therefore,  to  be  expected  to  have  any  better 
reason  than  "  because "  for  any  way  of  working  that  she 
chooses,  is  scarcely  philosophical  enough  for  those  who  in- 
dulge in  the  luxury  of  thinking.  When  the  matter  is  in- 
vestigated it  will  be  found,  as  is  often  true,  that  where 
there  seems  to  be  only  a  whim  there  is  actually  a  reason. 
In  the  present  instance  this  cause  is  doubly  blessed,  for  it 


CLIMATE.  3 

has  two  reasons  for  being.  One  of  these  is  in  the  air,  the 
other  in  the  water.  Either  of  these  forces  working  alone 
would  be  potential  enough  to  bring  about  great  results; 
entering  into  partnership  and  uniting  their  capacities,  they 
accomplish  what  seems  to  be  almost  a  miracle.  In  the  two 
influences,  the  direction  of  the  winds  and  the  Japan  current, 
will  be  found  ample  reason  for  the  great  difference  in  the 
temperature  upon  the  same  parallel  of  latitude,  on  the  two 
sides  of  the  continent.  Working  with  or  against  these 
principal  powers,  there  are  many  local  causes,  such  as  the 
elevation  or  direction  of  mountain  ranges,  and  the  occur- 
rence of  passes  or  openings  through  them,  which  turn 
aside  or  check,  or  increase,  the  strength  of  the  winds,  and 
so  occasion  partial  departures  from  general  laws.  Throw- 
ing out  of  consideration  these  exceptional  cases,  it  ma}^  be 
well  to  consider,  more  in  full,  the  workings  of  the  two 
grand  and  overmastering  causes. 

It  is  well  known  that  heat  expands  atmospheric  air  and 
makes  it  lighter,  and  that  the  lighter  air  always  shows  a 
disposition  to  rise  above  the  heavier.  Hence  when  the  sun 
shines  vertically,  as  at  the  equator,  the  air  becomes  heated 
and  ascends,  while  the  colder  air  from  the  north  and  south 
flows  in  to  fill  the  vacuum.  If  the  earth  were  motionless, 
there  would  be,  consequently,  surface  currents  from  the 
north  and  south  toward  the  equator,  and  upper  currents 
from  the  equator  toward  the  poles.  But  as  the  rotary 
motion  of  the  earth  from  west  to  east  is  communicated  to 
its  atmosphere,  and  as  in  the  equatorial  regions,  where  the 
process  of  rarefaction  is  most  active,  this  eastward  motion 
is  necessarily  the  greatest,  the  combined  eff'ects  of  this  ro- 
tary motion  and  the  movement  to  and  from  the  poles  is 
1* 


4  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

to  give  the  air-currents  an  oblique  direction,  those  on  the 
surface  tending  from  tlie  northeast  to  the  southwest,  and 
the  upper  currents  from  the  southwest  to  the  northeast. 
But  this  latter  wind  will  not  be  felt  anywhere  near  the 
equator,  because  it  is  an  upper  current,  and  so  con- 
tinues until,  by  a  gradually  cooling  process,  it  parts  with 
enough  of  its  caloric  to  come  down  and  take  its  place  as 
a  surface  current.  In  the  winter,  when  the  sun  is  south 
of  the  equator,  this  result  will  happen  in  about  latitude 
30°.  In  the  summer,  when  the  sun  is  north  of  the  equa- 
tor, this  southwest  wind  does  not  come  to  the  surface 
below  latitude  65°  or  70°,  unless  it  chance  to  meet  with 
some  unusual  obstruction.  These  several  causes  working 
together  —  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays,  the  turning  of  the 
earth  upon  its  axis  and  its  revolution  round  the  sun,  to- 
gether with  the  inclination  of  the  earth's  axis  —  would  be 
expected,  reasoning  a  priori,  to  produce  exactly  such  re- 
sults as  are  actually  found  to  exist,  viz.:  calms,  variable 
winds  and  vertical  currents  about  the  equator,  northeast 
winds  from  there  to  latitude  25°  or  30°,  variable  winds 
where  the  southwest  and  northeast  winds  strive  together 
for  the  mastery,  and  northwest  winds  beyond  the  scene  of 
conflict. 

The  Pacific  ocean  being  larger  than  any  other  even, 
spherical  surface  upon  the  face  of  our  globe  is,  as  a  con- 
sequence, less  aflFected  by  irregularities  and  disturbances 
from  without.  Like  all  great  bodies,  it  has  such  confidence 
in  its  own  power  that  it  can  afford  to  be  indifferent  to 
insults  that  may  be  off'ered  by  outside  insignificance,  and 
remain  placid  under  almost  any  provocation.  Hence  it  is 
able  to  show  the  legitimate  influence  of  solar  heat  and  the 


CLIMATE.  5 

earth's  motion  in  producing  atmospheric  and  oceanic  cur- 
rents. As  the  prevailing  winds  of  the  temperate  zone  are 
westerly,  that  region  which  is  blown  upon  by  the  winds 
that  come  over  this  great,  calm,  placid  and  equable  ocean 
should  have  a  milder  and  more  equable  climate  than  coun- 
tries Avhich  have  a  ditferent  geographical  position.  Pre- 
cisely this  result  is  found  to  take  place. 

From  the  equator  to  latitude  12°  or  15°  there  is  but 
little  wind,  and  that  is  variable.  From  thence  to  latitude 
25°  the  northeast  trades  prevail.  In  winter  the  upper 
southerly  currents  begin  to  come  to  the  surface  at  about 
this  point,  and  as  they  move  in  a  direction  opposite  to  the 
northeast  trades,  they  beat  these  back  and  produce  a  belt 
of  variable  winds  that  extends  to  about  latitude  32°.  Be- 
yond this  limit,  northv/ard,  the  southwest  v/inter  winds, 
which  have  now  reached  the  surface  in  full  force,  sweep 
forward  regularly  when  not  obstructed  by  surface  eleva- 
tions. These  southwest  winds,  coming  over  the  even, 
tranquil  surface  of  the  great  Pacific  ocean,  bring  with  them 
the  mild,  equable  temper  which  the  ocean  has  imparted  to 
them,  and  make  cool  or  warm,  according  to  the  needs  of 
the  case,  whatever  part  of  the  continent  they  reach.  In 
winter  the  ocean  is  warmer,  and  in  summer  cooler,  than  the 
land  contiguous  to  it,  so  that  in  either  instance  these  winds 
are  messengers  of  comfort  to  those  on  the  land,  bringing 
heat  or  cold  according  to  the  season. 

As  the  sun  moves  northward  over  the  equator,  and 
spring  gives  place  to  summer,  the  southwest  winter  winds 
gradually  die  out,  or,  rather,  go  northward,  leaving  first 
those  places  where  they  first  appeared,  which  is  about  lati- 
tude 32°.     In  the  autumn  their  course  is  reversed,  their 


6  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFOR]SriA. 

journey  commencing  in  the  opposite  direction.  They  strike 
the  earth  far  to  the  north,  and  come  down,  as  the  sun  gets 
farther  and  farther  south  of  the  equator,  until  they  sweep 
along  the  whole  coast,  as  far  as  latitude  32°  again. 

The  southwest  winds  having  followed  the  sun  in  its 
movement  toward  the  south  pole,  the  coast  is  clear  for  the 
northwest  winds  to  show  their  power.  They  improve  their 
opportunity,  and  from  June  till  October  have  matters  pretty 
much  their  own  way.  These  winds  come  from  a  high  lati- 
tude, and  over  a  small,  cold  ocean.  As  a  consequence,  they 
are  both  cool  and  dry,  and  so  have  power  over  quite  a 
range  of  latitude,  to  modify  the  influence  of  a  nearly  ver- 
tical sun,  and  reduce  the  temperature  from  what  it  would 
be  without  their  influence  to  a  mean  of  about  64°  in  the 
daytime,  and  make  the  nights  especially  cool  and  delightful. 
When  the  wind,  however,  is  directly  from  the  north,  and 
comes  down  over  the  heated  valleys  lying  inland,  and  has 
no  chance  to  be  modified  by  the  influence  of  the  ocean,  it 
is  a  withering,  scorching  blast,  that  feels  as  though  it  had 
come  straight  from  the  mouth  of  a  furnace. 

The  other  influence  that  cooperates  with  these  comfort- 
ing winds,  and  helps  them  to  produce  the  delightful  climate 
of  the  Pacific  coast,  is  the  Japan  current. 

The  nature  and  influence  of  the  gulf  stream  in  the 
Atlantic  ocean  have  been  long  understood.  It  is  due  to  its 
beneficence  that  Great  Britain,  lying  between  50°  and  59° 
north  latitude,  is  redeemed  from  the  cold  and  sterility  of 
Labrador,  which  lies,  in  part,  in  the  same  latitude.  It 
is  a  well-known  and  established  fact  that  the  climate  of  all 
Western  Europe  is  far  more  amiable  and  kindly  than  that 
of  countries  lying  in  corresponding  parallels  of  latitude  on 


CLIMATE.  7 

the  eastern  coast  of  America,  and  that  to  the  potent  influ- 
ence of  the  gulf  stream  this  difference  is  due. 

The  power  of  the  Japan  current  is  as  much  greater  and 
more  beneficent  than  that  of  the  gulf  stream  as  the  ocean 
in  which  it  has  its  origin  is  grander  and  more  placable 
than  that  which  is  the  home  of  the  gulf  stream.  The 
current  takes  its  rise  in  the  Indian  ocean,  being  heated 
by  the  vertical  sun  of  the  tropics,  and  flows  northward 
along  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia,  warming  the  countries 
it  finds  on  its  way,  and  giving  particular  attention  to  the 
comfort  of  those  who  dwell  on  the  islands  of  Japan.  At 
length  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  peninsula  of  Alaska 
and  the  Aleutian  islands.  Breaking  with  great  force  upon 
these  obstructions  to  its  onward  movement,  the  current  is 
divided.  After  the  division,  one  part  moves  northward 
through  Behring's  Straits,  and,  probably,  helps  to  make  the 
open  polar  sea.  The  other  part  comes  down  along  the 
western  coast  of  America,  hugging  it  closely,  and  gener- 
ously imparting  warmth  and  comfort  as  it  flows  along 
toward  the  south.  The  region  bordering  upon  Puget  Sound 
is  blessed  beyond  any  other  by  this  beneficent  power. 
Twice  each  day,  with  the  rise  of  the  tide,  immense  quan- 
tities of  this  warm  water  fiow  into  Pucret  Sound  through 
the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  and,  like  the  steam-pipes 
through  which  steam  is  sent  from  a  furnace  over  a  house, 
the  tepid  water  continually  dispenses  its  heat,  and  so  warms 
the  country  that  flowers  can  bud  and  bring  forth  blos- 
soms to  beautify  the  Christmas  tables;  hence  the  climate 
of  the  country  is  altogether  unlike  what  its  contiguity  to 
the  north  pole  would  make  it  reasonable  to  expect.  But 
the  beneficence  of  the  Japan  current  does  not  stop  here. 


8  TWO  TEARS   IN"  CALIFORNIA. 

Like  the  apparatus  in  our  congressional  halls,  it  accom- 
plishes a  double  purpose.  That  which  serves  for  heating 
in  winter  serves  also  for  cooling  in  summer.  There  are 
but  two  degrees  difference  in  the  temperature  of  the  Japan 
current  in  winter  and  summer.  The  winter  temperature 
is  50°,  that  of  summer  52°.  It  is,  therefore,  greatly  cooler 
in  summer  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere;  and  whereas 
in  winter  it  warms,  in  summer  it  cools,  the  region  round 
about. 

So  great  is  the  volume  of  this  Japan  current,  and  so 
economical  is  it  in  the  use  of  its  resources,  that  in  all  its 
long  journey  the  variation  in  the  temperature  of  its  waters 
is  comparatively  slight.  The  distance  between  Queen  Char- 
lotte's Islands  and  San  Francisco  is  two  thousand  miles ;  yet 
throughout  the  whole  the  difference  in  the  temperature  of 
the  water  is  but  two  degrees.  Thus  the  entire  western 
coast  of  North  America  has  an  almost  equal  share  in  the 
benefits  of  this  mighty  ocean  stream. 


RAI]Sr-FALL.  9 

CHAPTER   II. 

RAIlSr-FALL. 

THERE  is  not  the  same  equality  in  the  amount  of 
rain-fall,  or  precipitation  of  moisture,  on  the  Pacific 
coast  that  there  is  in  temperature.  Going  from  the 
north  to  the  south,  the  amount  diminishes  in  a  direct 
ratio.  In  Washington  Territory  and  in  Oregon  the  clouds 
get  into  such  a  habit  of  weeping  that  it  seems  to  be 
their  normal  condition,  but  they  "dry  up"  more  and 
more  toward  the  equator  until  in  southern  California 
they  make  but  very  stingy  deposits. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that,  though  "the  wind  blow- 
eth  where  it  listeth,"  and  seems  to  be  altogether  a  law- 
less thing,  and  the  rain  appears  to  come  in  an  entirely 
independent  and  irresponsible  manner,  when  we  look 
into  the  matter  we  find  that  both  are  chained  to  the 
chariot  of  Him  who  is  above  them  both,  and  who  has 
ordained  laws  which  they  can  neither  transcend  nor 
transgress. 

Even  in  the  seven  hundred  miles  through  which  Cali- 
fornia extends,  north  and  south,  the  diff"erence  is  so  great 
as  to  excite  inquiry  in  the  minds  of  the  most  unthinking. 

In  Shasta  city  in  northern  California,  between  Novem- 
ber and  April,  the  rain-fall  in  1871-2  reached  eighty 
inches,  while  in  San  Diego,  in  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  State,  during  the  same  time,  it  was  only  ten  inches. 

There  are  seasons  when  it  even  falls  short  of  this.     San 
1* 


10  TWO  TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Francisco,  situated  between  the  two  extremes,  has  an 
average  rain-fall  of  twenty-two  inches.  Local  causes 
sometimes  occasion  a  departure  from  general  rules  and 
increase  the  disparity.  In  Hoopa  Valley,  Klamath  county, 
the  enormous  quantity  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
inches  is  reported  to  have  fallen  in  one  season,  while  at 
Fort  Yuma,  in  the  southeastern  extremity  of  San  Diego 
county,  the  average  annual  rain-fall  is  only  about  three 
inches,  and  in  exceptional  seasons  it  is  even  less,  while 
there  are  said  to  be  places  in  the  State  where  there  is 
no  rain  at  all. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  get  at  the  secret  of  these 
apparently  strange  differences. 

That  secret  is  bound  up  in  the  same  bundle  which 
contains  the  mysteries  in  regard  to  the  direction  of  the 
winds,  and  the  causes  which  control  them.  Untie  the  one, 
and  the  other  is  found. 

All  the  western  portion  of  the  continent  derives  its 
moisture  from  the  Pacific  ocean.  The  wind  sweeping  over 
the  sea  gathers  up  the  particles  of  moisture  and  carries 
them  in  its  bosom  until  some  extraneous  influence  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  it  to  compel  it  to  give  up  its  treas- 
ure. Then,  as  it  goes  hither  and  thither,  it  scatters  these 
riches,  and  therewith  makes  the  earth  glad  and  causes  it 
to  bring  forth,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower  and 
bread  to  the  eater. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  capacity  of  atmospheric 
air  to  absorb  and  retain  moisture  is  increased  or  dimin- 
ished in  proportion  as  its  temperature  is  higher  or  lower. 
The  prevailing  winds  of  the  temperate  zone  coming  from 
the  west,  and  sweeping,  as  they  do,  over  the  broad  expanse 


RAIN-FALL.  11 

of  the  Pacific  ocean,  lap  up  the  water,  and  carry  it  on  their 
wings  until,  as  they  go  northward,  they  become  so  chilled 
that  they  are  obliged  to  deposit  it.  In  winter,  when  the 
sun  is  south  of  the  equator,  this  point  is  reached  at  about 
latitude  30°,  where  the  deposition  of  moisture  is  begun, 
and  as  the  winds  get  cooler  in  proportion  as  they  get 
further  and  further  away  from  the  sun  and  toward  the 
north,  the  precipitation  of  moisture  increases  in  a  direct 
ratio  with  the  distance,  until  by  the  time  Puget  Sound  is 
reached  the  winds  are  found  to  be  in  an  almost  constant 
state  of  precipitation.  This  deposit  is  in  the  shape  of  rain 
in  the  valleys  and  lowlands,  and  snow  in  the  mountains. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  the  summer,  when  the  sun  is 
north  of  the  equator,  the  scene  of  this  cooling  process  is 
moved  further  north,  and  the  region  that  has  been  so 
generously  supplied  with  rain  during  the  winter  gets  none 
at  all  in  summer,  because  the  atmosphere  does  not  become 
sufficiently  cooled  off  to  make  any  deposits  until  it  gets 
quite  far  to  the  northward. 

South  of  latitude  42°  summer  showers  are  almost  un- 
known, saving  in  exceptional  circumstances,  where  mount- 
ain ranges  attract  clouds  and  cause  precipitation.  In  the 
Yosemite  valley  showers  are  frequent,  even  in  the  summer 
months.  Another  cause  acts  in  conjunction  with  the  one 
already  mentioned.  In  summer,  as  has  been  before  stated, 
the  prevailing  westerly  winds  are  often  deflected,  and 
sometimes  overpowered,  by  winds  from  the  north.  These 
north  winds  not  only  have  no  moisture  to  spare,  but  they 
are  ravenously  thirsty,  and  so  gather  up  and  appropriate 
every  particle  of  moisture  they  find  on  their  way. 

Any  one  who  has  been  long  enough  in  California  to  be 


12  TWO    YEARS    IN   CALIFORKIA. 

at  all  familiar  with  its  climatic  phenomena  does  not  need 
to  be  told  of  the  withering,  blasting  effect  of  the  north 
wind.  It  not  only  dries  up  vegetable  matter  and  sucks 
the  very  life  out  of  it,  but  animal  life  is  also  affected. 
Even  man,  the  aristocrat  of  creation,  is  obliged  to  succumb 
to  its  influence.  It  penetrates  the  very  marrow  of  his 
bones,  and  makes  him  feel  that  his  birthright  renders  him 
an  Ishmaelite  indeed,  whose  mission  it  is  to  be  at  enmity 
with  his  race.  Any  one  who  can  show  an  amiable  dis- 
position, and  be  ready  to  do  his  needy  fellow-creature  a 
kindness  on  the  third  day  that  the  wind  has  been  in  the 
north,  may  be  set  down  as  one  among  a  thousand!  For- 
tunately these  north  winds  seldom  continue  more  than 
three  days  in  succession,  or  there  is  no  knowing  to  what 
horrible  extremities  the  people  would  be  driven. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Sacramento,  in  the  month  of  May, 
the  writer  saw  the  leaves  of  sycamore  trees,  which  had 
unfolded  and  almost  reached  maturity  of  size,  scorched 
and  withered  and  killed,  as  totally  blasted  as  though  a 
fire  had  been  kindled  beneath  the  trees  and  the  flames  had 
reached  and  destroyed  them.  This  was  the  work  of  a 
north  wind  which  had  prevailed  a  week  or  two  before. 
And  woe  to  the  unfortunate  sufferer  who  has  a  rheumatic 
affection  lurking  anywhere  in  his  bones!  The  north  wind 
will  be  sure  to  search  it  out  and  waken  it  into  activity. 
Let  such  an  one  get  on  the  south  side  of  the  house,  and  bar 
the  door  and  shut  the  window,  if  perchance  he  can  keep 
out  the  enemy,  for,  if  he  do  not,  if  he  be  once  found,  such 
torments  will  rack  his  bones  as  demons  might  delight  to 
torture  their  victims  with! 

The   two    chief  elements  of  climate,  temperature   and 


RAIN-FALL.  13 

rain-fall,  have  now  been  considered,  and  enough  said  to 
show  the  general  laws  by  which  they  are  governed  and 
the  influence  they  exert.  There  remain  other  facts  and 
considerations  that  go  to  show  why  the  climate  diifers  so 
widely  in  the  different  parts  of  California. 

There  are  many  local  causes,  such  as  elevation,  or  pro- 
tection by  means  of  mountains,  or  trend  of  coast,  or  other 
peculiarity  that  may  affect  a  given  locality.  This  is  true  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  general 
description  of  the  climate  of  California  that  will  be  correct 
and  satisfactory.  The  locality  must  be  defined  if  a  true 
and  authentic  account  would  be  given;  still,  so  far  as  it  is 
possible  to  generalize,  it  is  well  to  do  so.  California  may, 
therefore,  be  said  to  have  two  climates, —  the  land  and 
the  sea  climates.  The  former  is  dry  and  hot  from  April 
to  November;  the  latter  damp  and  cool.  If  one  wishes 
to  know  the  climate  of  a  given  place,  the  first  thing  to 
be  ascertained  is,  to  which  of  the  two  climates  the  place 
is  subjected.  Those  parts  of  the  State  that  are  contiguous 
to  the  ocean  are,  of  course,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
sea  climate,  and  consequently  have  no  oppressive  heat  and 
no  disheartening  cold.  They  are  kept  in  a  state  of  per- 
petual comfort  by  the  coolness  and  evenness  of  the  ocean 
temperature.  The  water  along  the  coast,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Japan  current,  stands  at  from  52°  to  54°  all 
the  year  round.  This  equability  is  imparted  to  the  atmos- 
phere so  that  it  is  preserved  from  any  great  variation  of 
temperature. 

In  San  Francisco  the  mean  difference  between  the  sum- 
mer and  winter  temperature  is  only  eight  degrees.  This 
is  only  one  of  many  marked  peculiarities  in  the  climate  of 


14  TWO   YEARS  IN   CALIFOENIA. 

this  queen  city  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Take  it  altogether, 
the  climate  is  quite  anomalous  and  difficult  to  be  under- 
stood by  those  who  have  not  had  the  chance  of  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  its  peculiarities.  The  ladies 
wear  their  fur  collars  all  the  year,  and  gentlemen  do  not 
give  the  moths  an  opportunity  to  make  feasts  of  their 
overcoats,  because  they  are  in  almost  constant  requisition. 
Even  on  our  nation's  birthday,  a  heavy  blanket-shawl 
would  be  essential  to  comfort  if  a  ride  in  an  open  buggy 
were  indulged  in.  In  such  a  climate  it  does  not  seem  so 
strange  as  it  sometimes  does  in  the  sweltering  heat  of  an 
eastern  Fourth  of  July,  that  our  fathers  ventured  to  allow 
themselves  to  get  warmed  up  and  excited  enough  to  pledge 
"their  fortunes,  their  lives,  and  their  saci'ed  honors"  to 
any  cause  whatsoever,  if  that  cause  was  to  be  sustained  by 
fighting!  And  yet,  in  this  same  place,  where  in  July  and 
August  you  draw  your  fur  collar  about  your  neck  as  closely 
as  possible,  and,  if  you  are  intending  to  cross  the  bay,  put 
an  additional  pin  in  your  blanket  shawl,  delicate  exotics 
blossom  in  the  yards  perennially.  There  is  no  time  when 
you  cannot  gather  a  bouquet  of  roses,  geraniums,  verbenas 
and  pinks,  while  you  see  in  almost  every  dooryard  such 
bunches  of  calla-lilies,  with  their  large,  trumpet-shaped 
blossoms,  arrayed  in  the  color,  if  not  the  odor,  of  sanctity, 
as  would  delight  the  imagination  of  an  eastern  florist  to 
even  dream  of.  How  are  these  two  sets  of  circumstances  — 
these  perpetual  furs  and  perpetual  flowers  —  these  blanket- 
shawls  in  July  and  greenness  all  the  year  to  be  reconciled 
and  accounted  for? 

San  Francisco  is  in  the  debatable  land  where  the  sea 
and  the  land  climates  always  strive  together,  with  victory 


EAIN-FALL.  15 

always  inclining  to  the  side  of  the  former.  It  is  situated 
on  a  peninsula,  with  the  ocean  on  the  west  and  the  bay 
of  San  Francisco  on  the  east,  thus  affording  an  unusually 
good  opportunity  for  the  wind  to  sweep  over  it  and  do 
whatsoever  it  pleases.  The  Golden  Grate  and  the  bay  of  San 
Francisco  are  the  only  effectual  break — the  only  facile 
communication  between  the  coast  and  the  interior  valleys. 
In  summer,  when  the  valleys  are  heated  up  and  vacuums 
are  occasioned  by  the  rising  of  the  hot  air,  the  cool  wind 
from  the  ocean,  in  its  haste  to  rush  in  and  fill  the  vacancies, 
gets  very  much  in  earnest,  and  blows  over  the  peninsvila  in 
a  tempestuous  manner.  The  hotter  it  is  in  the  valleys  the 
harder  the  wind  blows,  so  that,  when  there  is  an  incipi- 
ent hurricane  in  San  Francisco  it  may  always  be  inferred 
that  they  are  having  a  hot  time  of  it  in  the  valleys.  On 
account  of  this  connection  between  the  ocean  and  the 
interior  valleys  by  means  of  the  Golden  Gate  and  the  bay, 
San  Francisco  is  more  exposed  to  the  wind  during  sum- 
mer than  any  other  place  on  the  coast.  Even  Oakland, 
but  eight  miles  distant,  on  the  other  side  of  the  bay,  has 
a  perceptibly  milder  and  more  propitious  summer  climate, 
because  by  the  direction  of  the  coast  it  has  some  protection 
from  the  power  of  the  ocean  winds.  There  are  many 
places  on  the  coast  for  which  nature  has  kindly  provided 
some  shield  by  projecting  a  headland,  or  indenting  a  bay, 
so  as  to  secure  at  least  partial  immunity  from  the  rough 
blasts  from  the  sea.  Santa  Cruz  is  one  of  these  favored 
spots.  Situated  on  a  cove  in  the  bay  of  Monterey,  it  is 
protected  by  headlands  from  the  roughness  of  the  ocean 
winds,  and  made  so  attractive  that  it  has  become  a  place 
of  much  resort,  insomuch  that  it  is  called  the  Newport 
of  California. 


16  TWO    YEAKS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

Following  the  coast  down  to  Point  Concepcion,  it  will 
be  seen  that  there  is  a  sudden  and  sharp  change  in  its 
direction.  Instead  of  the  southeastern  course  it  has  kept 
heretofore,  it  makes  an  abrupt  turn  and  the  trend  is  almost 
due  east  for  about  seventy  miles.  As  the  sea-breeze  is 
from  the  west,  it  is  apparent  that  while  the  trend  of  the 
coast  is  in  the  same  direction,  the  wind  cannot  strike  it 
fairly,  and  yet  there  can  well  be  enough  of  its  cool,  invig- 
orating influence  felt  to  keep  the  land  in  a  state  of  per- 
petual comfort. 

Santa  Barbara  is  not  far  from  the  center  of  this  favored 
spot,  and  has  the  additional  advantage  of  a  southern  ex- 
posure, which  secures  an  unusual  supply  of  sunshine. 

Perhaps  the  pleasantest  characteristic  of  this  coast  cli- 
mate is  its  equability.  Along  the  coast  it  is  never  hot  and 
never  cold.  There  are  not  many  mornings  in  the  whole 
3^ear  when  a  little  fire  does  not  add  to  the  comfort;  indeed, 
there  are  few  mornings  when  you  can  really  be  comfortable 
without  one.  Yet,  as  soon  as  the  sun  is  up  a  little  way,  if 
you  can  get  yourself  under  its  influence,  its  heat  will  be 
suflBcient,  and  the  fire  may  be  permitted  to  go  out. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  general  principle,  that  when- 
ever and  wherever  you  get  away  from  the  influence  of  the 
sea-breeze  the  weather  will  be  warm  in  summer,  oftentimes 
intensely  hot,  except  where  the  influence  of  the  sun  is  coun- 
teracted by  elevation.  In  the  mountainous  regions  there 
are  valleys  so  lifted  up  and  protected  that  they  have 
climates  secured  to  them  so  nearly  perfect  that  only  a  de- 
termined grumbler  could  find  fault  with  them.  There  is 
a  large  extent  of  country  that  lies  betAveen  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  sea  and  the  land  climate,  and  is  afi"ected  by  both. 


KAIN-FALL.  17 

The  valleys  opening  into  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  are  all 
subject  to  this  double  influence.  The  heat  of  the  land 
climate  is  so  modified  by  the  cool  breeze  from  the  ocean  as 
to  result  in  a  compound  that  is  generally  comfortable  and 
pleasant. 

The  sea-breeze  does  not  seem  to  be  unduly  inclined  to 
confine  its  attentions  to  the  coast.  Wherever  there  is  a  cleft 
in  the  mountain,  or  an  opening  made  by  a  river,  it  pours 
through  and  uses  its  influence  to  assuage  the  heat  of  the 
inland  valleys.  It  comes  in  at  the  Golden  Gate  without  let 
or  hindrance,  and  as  it  does  nowhere  else.  It  strikes  vio- 
lently against  the  Contra  Costa  hills  on  the  other  side  of 
the  bay.  These  hinder  its  further  progress  in  that  direction, 
and  it  is  thus  deflected  and  turned  aside.  One  part  of  the 
divided  current  goes  toward  the  northwest,  the  other 
toward  the  southeast,  in  both  cases  following  the  course 
of  the  bay.  Hence  at  San  Jose,  below  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  the  bay,  the  trade-wind  or  sea-breeze  comes 
as  a  northwest  wind;  and  at  Benicia,  on  the  north  end  of 
the  bay,  it  comes  as  a  southwester.  Spreading  out  like  a 
fan,  it  flnds  its  way  into  all  the  valleys  and  inlets  that  open 
into  the  bay.  Everywhere  it  is  invigorating,  everywhere 
health-giving,  except  in  cases  where  the  lungs  are  diseased 
or  over-sensitive.  Then  places  where  it  comes  in  its  full 
strength  must  be  avoided. 

The  effect  of  the  wind  blowing  so  constantly  in  one 
direction  is  curiously  visible  in  the  trees,  which,  being 
unable  to  resist  the  constant  strain,  bend  so  continually 
before  the  blast  that  they  at  length  depart  entirely  from 
the  perpendicular,  and  show  rather  a  grovelling  disposition 
for  anything  that  was  created  to  stand  upright.     Among 


18  TWO    TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

the  live-oaks  in  and  around  Oakland,  there  can  scarcely  one 
be  found  that  has  maintained  its  uprightness  in  the  face 
of  all  this  opposition.  At  the  point  where  the  wind  has 
fair  and  full  sweep  the  trees  look  as  though  they  had  been 
sent  for  and  were  going  as  fast  as  they  could,  and  all  in  one 
direction.  Some  of  them  are  so  nearly  horizontal  that  it 
does  not  seem  as  though  it  would  be  a  very  difficult  thing 
to  walk  up  to  the  top  of  them. 

As  has  been  before  stated,  there  is  a  sort  of  correlation 
of  forces  —  a  balance  in  trade — between  the  sea-breeze 
and  the  heat  in  the  valleys.  Whenever  the  sun  shines  with 
unusual  power,  and  heats  up  the  valleys  to  an  unwonted 
degree,  causing  the  rarefied  air  to  rise  and  hurry  away,  the 
cold  air  from  the  sea  comes  to  fill  the  vacuu.m,  and  makes 
the  greater  haste  according  as  the  vacuum  is  greater. 
This  interchange  keeps  everything  in  motion,  and  the  wind 
in  San  Francisco  is  a  pretty  good  thermometer  for  the  Sac- 
ramento and  San  Joachin  valleys.  In  September  the  sun 
has  gone  too  far  to  the  south  to  succeed  so  well  in  heating 
up  the  valleys,  and  the  wind  from  the  ocean  has  no  cause  to 
interfere;  hence  there  is  a  cessation  of  its  activity,  and  in 
that  month  there  is  a  little  touch  of  summer  on  the  coast. 
It  is  uniformly  the  hottest  month  in  the  year  everywhere 
on  the  sea-coast. 

It  is  a  misnomer  to  call  the  season  winter  that  alternates 
with  the  summer  in  California.  It  is  a  long,  bright  spring, 
made  so  by  the  rains  which  are  expected  in  November,  but 
do  not  always  come  until  December.  After  a  few  showers 
the  hills  put  on  their  garments  of  beauty,  greenness  spreads 
rapidly  over  their  brown,  parched  sides,  and  everything 
assumes  the  fresh,  inspiring  look  of  spring.     The  farmers 


RAIIS^-FALL.  19 

begin  to  plow  and  sow  their  fields;  and  the  sooner  the  seed 
is  in  after  the  rains  begin  the  better.  In  almost  every  part 
of  the  State,  in  an  average  season,  a  wheat  crop  is  secure  if 
the  seed  is  jjut  into  the  ground  in  time  to  have  the  benefit 
of  the  greater  part  of  the  winter  rain.  More  rain  falls  in 
December,  as  a  general  thing,  than  in  any  other  month. 
In  January  there  are  many  bright  days  when  the  sky  is  so 
serene  and  the  air  so  pure  that  it  seems  to  be,  and  really  is, 
a  luxury  to  live.  Vegetation  grows  rapidly  all  through  the 
month,  and  has  but  little  conflict  in  doing  so.  There  are 
occasional  frosts,  but  the  ground  is  never  stifi'ened  by  cold. 

Then  comes  the  period  between  the  early  and  the  latter 
rains.  This  is  sometimes  longer  and  better  defined  than  it 
is  at  others,  but  it  is  usually  measured  by  the  month  of 
February.  The  latter  rains  are  of  vital  importance  to  the 
crops.  The  seed  is  now  in  the  ground,  or  should  be,  and  its 
growth  and  maturity  depend  in  great  measure  upon  the 
copiousness  of  these  rains.  If  the  latter  rain  is  abundant, 
the  crop  may  be  regarded  as  secure. 

It  will  be  inferred  from  what  has  been  already  said  that 
the  rainy  reason  is  not  a  time  of  perpetual  rain.  The  fact 
is  quite  otherwise.  There  are  often  many  days  in  succession 
without  a  drop  of  rain,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  skies  and 
the  purity  of  the  atmosphere  are  something  wonderful,  and 
beautiful  as  wonderful.  Those  who  have  made  their  only 
visit  to  California  during  the  heat  and  dust  of  the  summer, 
it  is  safe  to  say,  know  but  little  of  its  beauty  and  its  glory. 

The  air,  purified  by  the  rain,  becomes  so  transparent 
that  distance  seems  to  be  annihilated.  If  it  were  really 
true  that  the  gates  were  ajar,  it  would  seem  as  though 
one  could  actually  look  within  and  see  the  heavenly  city. 


20  TWO    YEAKS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

"Jerusalem  the  golden."  It  was  the  writer's  pleasant 
fortune  to  be  in  Oakland  for  the  first  time  during  this 
season.  These  strange  and  wonderful  appearances  occa- 
sioned a  state  of  mind  so  bordering  on  ecstasy  that  the 
tension  was  acute,  and  the  effect  from  excess  of  pleasure- 
almost  painful.  Afterward,  familiarity  made  this  loveliness 
less  exciting;  but  no  familiarity  could  ever  make  such 
scenes  so  common  that  the  heart  would  not  lift  itself  up  in 
glad  thankfulness  to  the  great  Creator,  who  not  only  made 
the  world  beautiful,  but  so  stamped  His  image  on  the  hearts 
of  His  children  as  to  make  them  capable  of  appreciation. 
Go  where  you  will  on  the  Contra  Costa  mountains  and  the 
foot-hills  back  of  Oakland,  you  always  seem  to  look  right 
out  of  the  open  Golden  Gate  to  the  limitless  ocean  beyond. 
Brightness  and  beauty  are  everywhere,  above,  beneath  and 
around  you.  Life  has  a  new  zest  and  a  new  meaning  given 
to  it  when  you  can  breathe  such  air  and  look  out  upon 
such  loveliness;  imagination  is  helped  in  its  conceptions  of 
that  "land  of  pure  delight"  about  whose  glories  we  can 
only  faintly  dream  here,  but  about  which  we  hope  to  know 
so  much  hereafter. 

There  are  many  of  these  halcyon  days  scattered  through 
the  winter.  In  truth,  during  some  winters  they  are  the 
rule  and  rainy  days  are  the  exception,  for  the  rain  has  a 
strong  propensity  to  fall  in  the  night,  very  benevolently 
vacating  when  the  night  is  past,  and  leaving  the  "sun  to 
rule  by  day."  The  conditions  are  more  favorable  for  the 
falling  of  the  rain  by  night  than  by  day.  •  No  matter  how 
heavily  laden  the  clouds  are,  or  how  ready  soever  they  may 
be  to  discharge  their  contents,  the  sun  is  so  potent  that  it 
compels  them  to  scatter,  and  take  with  them  the  moisture 


RAIN-FALL.  21 

with  which  they  are  charged.  But  in  the  night  the  sun  is 
out  of  the  way,  and  the  rain-clouds  have  the  field  all  to 
themselves.  They  improve  their  opportunitj^,  and  some- 
times pour  down  the  rain  without  stint  or  limit.  The  first 
winter  that  the  writer  spent  in  California,  there  was  not  a 
day  when  the  rain  was  continuous,  not  a  day  a  part  of 
which  could  not  be  pleasantly  spent  out-of-doors.  But 
that  was  an  exceptionally  dry  winter,  as  the  next  was  an 
exceptionally  wet  one,  during  which  there  was  at  one  time 
three  weeks  with  only  four  pleasant  days  in  all  the  twenty- 
one. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  varies  less  in  a  given 
range  of  latitude  on  the  Pacific  coast  than  it  does  on  the 
Atlantic.  Going  northward  on  the  Atlantic  sea-board,  the 
mean  annual  temperature  is  found  to  diminish  one  degree 
for  every  degree  of  latitude.  But  on  the  western  coast 
there  is  a  difference  of  but  two  or  three  degrees  in  all  the 
nine  degrees  of  latitude  between  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia river  and  Monterey.  And  this  difference  does  not 
always  correspond  with  the  difference  in  the  latitude. 
Local  causes  come  in  to  modify  natural  conditions,  and 
exert  other  influences.  In  the  interior  the  climate  is 
greatly  diversified.  Each  valley  and  mountain  side  seems 
to  have  one  of  its  own. 

The  rains  cease  in  April  or  May,  and  on  the  coast  the 
trade-winds  begin  to  blow,  but  they  are  as  yet  only  in  their 
infancy.  Their  mature  strength  is  in  reserve  for  July  and 
August,  when  they  hold  high  carnival.  The  wind  rises 
every  morning  about  ten  o'clock,  or  a  little  later,  and  con- 
tinues through  the  remainder  of  the  day.  As  has  been 
already  stated,  September  is  the  hottest  month  of  the  year 


22  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

on  the  coast,  because  the  trade-winds  have  ceased,  and  the 
land  is  given  over  to  the  influence  of  the  sun. 

The  mean  temperature  of  San  Francisco  is  56°,  it  being 
60°  in  summer  and  52°  in  winter.  There  is  scarcely  any 
fall  of  temperature  during  the  night.  Soon  after  the  sea- 
breeze  sets  in,  in  the  morning,  the  mercury  falls  from  65° 
to  53°  or  54°,  and  remains  very  nearly  stationary  from 
that  time  till  the  sun  brings  it  up  the  next  morning.  This 
operation  is  gone  through  with  three-fourths  of  the  days 
during  June,  July  and  August.  The  nights  are  never 
uncomfortably  warm,  as  is  shown  by  the  temperature. 
Blankets  are  in  requisition  every  night  in  the  year.  In- 
land the  sun  has  a  better  chance  for  victory,  and  does  not 
show  himself  a  very  merciful  conqueror.  Away  from  the 
reach  of  the  sea-breeze  the  heat  is  sometimes  terrific.  In 
the  upper  Sacramento  valley,  during  the  summer,  the  mer- 
cury disdains  to  stop  anywhere  in  the  nineties,  but  goes  on 
up  to  100°,  to  110°,  and  even  to  118°  in  the  shade!  Yet 
even  that  degree  is  more  endurable  than  a  somewhat  lower 
degree  in  other  places,  on  account  of  the  extreme  dryness 
of  the  atmosphere  and  the  coolness  of  the  nights.  There 
being  no  clouds,  evaporation  is  rapid,  and  very  soon  after 
the  sun  is  gone  down  the  air  becomes  cool,  and  so  refresh- 
ing sleep  can  be  obtained.  In  the  San  Joachin  valley,  also, 
when  beyond  the  reach  of  the  sea-breeze,  the  heat  is  intense. 
But,  notwithstanding  the  intensity  of  the  heat,  sun-strokes 
are  nearly  or  quite  unknown.  There  is  no  authentic  ac- 
count of  any  case  of  sun-stroke  that  terminated  fatally. 
Probably,  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere,  already  referred 
to,  has  something  to  do  with  this  immunity. 

Another  of  the  pleasant  peculiarities  of  the  climate  of 


RAIIT-FALL.  23 

California  is,  that  there  are  no  thunder-showers.  There 
being  no  clouds  to  hold  the  electricity,  the  country  is  secure 
from  the  celestial  pyrotechnics  that  occasion  so  much  terror 
among  the  weak-nerved  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
There  is  an  occasional  flash  of  lightning,  and  the  rumble 
of  thunder  is  sometimes  heard.  But  these  come  in  the 
winter,  when  they  come  at  all,  and  are  but  distantly  re- 
lated to  the  terrific  explosions  which  occasion  alarm,  and 
sometimes  death,  elsewhere. 


24  TWO    YEAKS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER   III. 

HISTORY. 

THE  word  California,  so  familiar  to  our  ears,  and  so 
pleasant,  is  of  doubtful  origin.  There  have  been 
many  speculations  in  regard  to  it,  and  divers  discussions, 
which  cannot  be  brought  to  any  certain  conclusion  for  want 
of  a  firm  foundation  on  which  to  base  the  theories  brought 
forward.  A  scholar,  learned  in  Greek  lore,  suggests  that 
California  is  derived  from  the  Greek  words  Kala-pJior-nea, 
which  may  mean  either  a  beautiful  young  woman  or  a  new 
country,  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  situation. 

Whatever  the  name  may  mean,  or  by  whom  compounded, 
it  is  first  met  with  in  a  romance,  which  was  once  very 
popular,  but  is  now  almost  forgotten,  and  was  published  at 
Seville,  Spain,  in  1510,  and  entitled,  "  The  Sergas  de  Es- 
plandian,"  the  Son  of  Amadis  of  Gaul.  In  this  book  the 
word  occurs  three  times.     One  passage  reads  thus: 

"  Know  that  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Indies,  there  is  an  island  called 
California,  very  near  to  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  which  was  peopled  by  black 
women,  without  any  men  among  them,  because  they  were  accustomed  to  live 
after  the  manner  of  the  Amazons.  They  were  of  strong  and  hardened  bodies, 
of  ardent  courage,  and  of  great  force.  The  island  was  the  strongest  in  the 
world,  from  its  steep  rocks  and  great  cliffs.  Their  arms  were  of  gold,  so 
were  the  caparisons  of  the  wild  beasts  they  rode." 

This  romance  was  very  popular  during  the  quarter  of  a 
century  that  elapsed  between  its  publication  and  the  dis- 
covery of  this  country  by  Hernando  Grixalva,  one  of  the 
officers  of  Cortez.     It  may  be  that  said  Grixalva  thought 


HISTOEY.  25 

he  had  found  the  wonderful  island  which  was  described 
in  the  romance,  and,  therefore,  gave  it  the  name  that  of 
right  belonged  to  it,  or  he  may  have  bestowed  upon  it 
the  popular  title  in  order  to  arrest  attention  and  excite 
an  interest  in  the  country. 

The  territory  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  State  of 
California  was  discovered  and  partially  described  in  the 
year  1542  by  Juan  Eodriquez  Cabrillo,  a  Portuguese  by 
birth,  but  in  the  service  of  Spain  at  the  time.  He  also 
discovered  and  named  the  Farallone  Islands,  which  lie 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  outside  the  Golden  Gate,  and  are 
known  to  modern  dwellers  in  that  region  as  immense 
birds'  nests,  where  the  sea-fowls  go  to  lay  their  eggs,  and 
where,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  5"ear,  men  follow  them  in 
vessels  and  bring  away  their  eggs  by  the  hundreds  of  dozens. 
Cabrillo  also  named  Cape  Mendocino,  which,  however,  he 
called  Cape  Mendoza,  for  his  friend  and  patron  the  viceroy 
of  Mexico.  The  name  was  afterward  softened  down  to 
Mendocino,  which  it  still  retains. 

For  more  than  two  centuries  after  the  country  was 
discovered  by  Cabrillo  the  beautiful  bay  of  San  Francisco, 
—  the  best  harbor  upon  the  Pacific  coast  and  the  second-best 
in  the  world, —  remained  a  sinus  incognitus.  It  is  so  se- 
curely land-locked,  and  the  gate  is  so  narrow  through  which 
it  is  entered,  that  navigators,  even  when  searching  along 
the  coast  for  an  inlet,  passed  and  repassed  without  discov- 
ering it.  And  it  is  a  somewhat  singular  fact  that  when 
it  was  finally  found  the  discoverers  came  to  it  overland. 

In  1769  Don  Caspar  De  Portala,  governor  of  Mexico, 
in  company  with  fifty  or  sixty  men,  started  from  Sonora 
to  go  overland  to  Monterey.     The  party  went  astray,  and, 


26  TWO  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

going  too  far  northward  for  the  point  which  they  were 
seeking,  came  by  accident  upon  this  gem  of  the  Pacific, 
the  bay  of  San  Francisco.  They  could  not,  of  course,  take 
in  at  a  glance  the  full  value  of  the  prize  they  had  found; 
they  could  not  fully  measure  its  almost  unlimited  capacity 
as  a  harbor  in  its  wonderful  security.  But  enough  was 
revealed  to  the  discoverers  to  make  them  desire  to  honor 
it  as  much  as  they  could,  by  the  bestowal  of  a  name 
which  was  much  to  them,  because  it  was  the  name  of 
their  patron  saint.  The  new  bay  was  therefore  called 
San  Francisco,  for  their  great  leader  and  unseen  guide. 

But  the  needs  of  the  time  did  not  even  yet  call  into 
requisition  this  grand  harbor.  Six  years  more  were  allowed 
to  pass  before  any  use  was  made  of  the  knowledge  so  acci- 
dentally or  providentially  acquired,  or  any  steps  were  taken 
to  secure  possession  of  this  important  point. 

With  the  light  of  the  present  day  shining  around  us,  the 
geographical  notions  of  those  who  lived  before  us  seem  very 
crude  and  almost  comical.  Even  the  wisest  of  the  men  of 
the  last  century,  were  they  now  living,  would  need  to  go 
to  school  awhile  to  get  thoroughly  posted  in  the  geogra- 
phy of  the  present  day;  and,  going  backward  in  the  cen- 
turies, the  case  waxes  worse  and  worse.  In  the  Odd 
Fellows'  library  in  San  Francisco  there  is  a  copy  of  a  map 
of  the  world,  published  in  Venice  in  1554,  in  which  the 
continent  of  North  America  is  represented  as  uniting 
with  Asia.  The  river  Colorado  is  made  to  rise  in  the 
mountains  of  Thibet,  and  then  wander  about  in  a  bewil- 
dered sort  of  way  till  it  has  traveled  more  than  fifteen 
thousand  miles  in  getting  across  the  continent,  when  it  is 
allowed  the  privilege  of  emptying  itself  into  the  gulf  of 


HISTORY.  27 

California,  the  place  for  which  it  has  been  seeking  so 
long!  Knowing  where  the  river  must  disgorge,  and  know- 
ing scarcely  more  than  that,  these  geography- makers  had 
to  do  as  the  naturalist  does  with  his  bone  when  he  has 
but  one  —  make  up  a  whole  that  will  fit  the  part  already 
possessed. 

With  geographical  knowledge  in  this  mixed-up  con- 
dition it  is  not  strange  that  California  was  for  a  long 
time  thought  to  be  an  island.  After  that  error  was  ex- 
ploded it  was  succeeded  by  another.  The  whole  country 
was  said  to  be  a  peninsula  fastened  to  the  continent  by 
a  "narrow  neck  of  land."  At  length,  in  1771,  Father 
Bogai't  published  a  book  on  California,  in  which  he  so 
clearly  demonstrated  that  it  was  a  regular  and  inherent 
part  of  the  American  continent,  that  its  rank  as  such 
has  never  since  been  called  in  question. 

A  high  motive  has  wonderful  power  to  lift  up  the 
heart  and  bring  about  the  best  results  in  action.  As  the 
stream  does  not  rise  higher  than  the  fountain,  so  the 
result  is  not  likely  to  be  better  than  the  motive.  But 
the  rule  does  not  always  prove  true  when  applied  to  the 
efforts  and  actions  of  men.  Anglo-Saxons  were  brought 
to  the  Pacific  coast  by  the  love  of  gold  and  the  greed  to 
gain  it.  Yet  they  have  done  more  in  the  short  quarter 
of  a  century  during  which  they  have  been  in  possession, 
to  develop  the  resources  and  uncover  the  hidden  riches 
of  the  country,  than  the  Spaniards  did  in  the  three  cen- 
turies during  which  they  ruled  over  it.  Moreover,  the 
Spaniards  went  to  California  professedly  for  the  highest 
and  noblest  purpose  —  to  make  Christians  of  savages,  to 
extend  the  boundaries  of  that  kingdom  whose  symbol   is 

'2* 


28  TWO   YEAES   IK   CALIFOEKIA. 

the  cross  and  the  very  genius  of  which  is  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  condition  of  the  suffering  sons  of  men,  the 
lifting  up  of  the  hearts  and  lives  of  those  who  accept  it 
and  live  according  to  its  requirements.  Did  they  fail 
because  they  mistook  the  genius  of  the  hierarchy  which 
they  sought  to  establish,  and  were  themselves  "  blind 
leaders  of  the  blind?" 

That  these  Spanish  fathers  had  some  of  the  "wisdom 
of  the  serpent"  is  evident,  for  they  very  wisely  adapted 
their  means  to  the  accomplishment  of  their  ends.  These 
followers  of  St.  Francis,  who  confessedly  wished  to  build 
up  a  spiritual  kingdom,  thought  it  best  to  have  a  good 
earthly  foundation  for  it  to  rest  upon.  So  they  took 
possession  of  the  entire  coast  from  the  Grolden  Gate  to 
San  Diego,  and  as  there  was  no  way  of  access  to  the 
country  except  by  sea,  they  controlled  the  whole.  The 
possessions  of  one  mission  extended  to  those  of  another, 
so  that  no  one  could  come  to  the  coast  to  stay,  or  even 
to  trade,  without  saying  to  the  fathers,  "  By  your  leave." 

Although  the  Spanish  government  was  not  unmindful 
of  the  desirableness  of  having  this  western  coast  of  Amer- 
ica attached  to  their  dominions  for  worldly  reasons,  yet 
the  governing  motive  seems  to  have  been,  the  conversion 
of  the  natives  to  Christianity,  or,  perhaps  it  would  be 
nearer  to  the  truth  to  say,  to  Catholicism,  Very  soon 
after  the  discovery  of  the  country  efforts  were  made  in 
this  direction.  Collections  were  made  both  in  Spain  and 
Mexico  which,  together  with  grants  of"  land  from  the 
government,  went  to  make  up  what  was  called  "The 
Pious  Fund  of  California."  This  fund  was  originally  in 
the  hands  of  the  Jesuits.      After   that   order   had   fallen 


HISTORY.  29 

into  disgrace  and  been  expelled  from  Spain,  the  fund 
was  passed  over  to  the  possession  of  the  followers  of  St. 
Francis,  or  the  Franciscans  as  they  are  generally  called. 
There  were  no  active  measures  adopted  in  furtherance 
of  the  great  design  of  converting  the  Indians  of  Califor- 
nia until  1768,  when  Father  Juniper  Serra,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  order,  was  appointed  president  of  all 
the  missions  to  be  established  in  Upper  California.  He 
lost  no  time  in  inaugurating  his  work.  In  1769  the 
first  mission  was  established  in  San  Diego,  near  the 
southern  boundary  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Califor- 
nia. This  mission  was  but  the  entering  wedge;  mission 
after  mission  was  planted  along  the  coast,  until  they 
numbered  twenty-two,  and  the  whole  distance  from  San 
Diego  to  the  Golden  Gate  was  subject  to  their  control. 
The  dominion  of  the  missionaries  was  absolute.  Both 
spiritual  and  temporal  matters  were  under  their  control, 
and  from  their  authority  there  was  no  appeal.  They 
constituted  both  church  and  state,  and  were  at  the  same 
time  kings  and  priests.  The  absolutism  of  their  sway 
continued  for  sixty  years.  They  waxed  rich  and  power- 
ful in  the  prolific  and  beautiful  country  which  they 
ruled.  Each  mission  had  its  presidio  or  fort,  in  which 
there  were,  or  were  supposed  to  be,  a  company  of  soldiers 
for  its  protection.  So  absolutely  was  everything  in  the 
hands  of  the  fathers  that  there  was  not  an  inn  or  a 
public  table  in  the  whole  territory,  even  so  late  as  when 
the  country  came  into  the  possession  of  the  United  States. 
The  wayfarer  could  stop  at  any  of  the  missions  or 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  few  small  towns,  and  his 
wants  would  be  supplied.     Food  and  lodging  were  given 


30  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORlflA. 

freely,  and  a  horse  to  ride  to  the  next  stopping-place. 
It  is  even  ,  said  that  a  vase  filled  with  silver  coin  was 
often  placed  in  the  room  in  which  the  stranger  slept, 
from  which  he  was  expected  to  take  what  his  needs 
required.  Apocryphal  as  this  statement  seems,  it  is  on 
record  as  a  grave,  historical  fact.  On  the  other  hand, 
Dana  says  that,  after  accepting  a  meal  or  other  hospi- 
tality, when  the  offer  to  pay  was  made,  the  steward 
uniformly  answered,  there  was  no  charge,  the  food  was 
the  gift  of  the  Lord.  At  the  same  time  it  was  quite 
plainly  intimated  that  the  Lord  would  not  be  unwilling 
to  receive  a  gift  in  return.  The  result  was,  that  the 
recipient,  being  thrown  upon  his  honor  and  his  gener- 
osity, generally  paid  two  or  three  times  what  the  receipts 
were  worth.     Still,  he  could  escape  payment  if  he  chose. 

The  fathers  lived  in  all  their  missions  in  patriarchal 
state.  The  Indians  were  their  retainers,  or  worse  yet,  their 
absolute  and  abject  slaves.  Some  of  the  missions  had  three 
or  four  thousand  natives  attached  to  them,  and  each  had 
all  that  dwelt  in  the  vicinity.  These  shrewd  old  Spanish 
padres  had  rather  remarkable  ways  of  making  converts 
to  a  religion  the  essence  of  which  is,  or  ought  to  be, 
peace  and  love.  Horsemen  were  sent  out  armed  with  the 
riata,  with  which  cattle  and  horses  were  lassoed,  and  by 
its  skillful  use  the  savages  were  caught,  and  compelled  to 
come  into  the  church  —  compelled  in  a  sense  in  which  the 
Divine  Teacher  never  meant  that  guests  should  be  gathered 
to  the  feast.  Eye-witnesses  tell  of  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren being  marched  into  church  for  purposes  of  confession 
and  worship,  between  guards  bearing  whips,  by  the  touch 
of  which  the   worshipers  were  persuaded  to  hasten  to  the 


H     o 
o      ^ 

4- 

o 
o 


HISTORY.  31 

house  of  God, —  which  to  them  in  this  way  was  made,  in 
truth,  a  refuge  and  a  sanctuary. 

These  poor  savages  were  thus  reduced  to  a  state  of  the 
most  abject  vassalage.  If  they  believed  and  showed  their 
faith  by  their  work,  they  were  fed  and  clothed ;  if  they  did 
not,  they  were  beaten  and  starved.  They  were  taught  just 
so  much  learning  and  handicraft  as  would  make  them  use- 
ful to  their  masters;  but  they  were  taught  nothing  on 
account  of  their  own  needs.  The  proofs  of  the  skill  they 
acquired  remain,  and  are  seen  in  aqueducts  and  well-built 
churches,  in  olive  orchards  and  vineyards,  in  reservoirs 
and  alamedas.  All  this  work  was  done  by  the  natives. 
The  fathers  furnished  the  brain,  the  Indians  the  muscle. 
The  fathers  showed  themselves  wise  in  the  wisdom  of  the 
skillful  general,  who  keeps  himself  out  of  the  way  of  the 
bullets,  but  lets  his  soldiers  have  their  fill  of  fighting  and 
danger,  and  when  the  battle  is  over  takes  all  the  glory. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  natural  incompatibility  between 
the  Spaniard  and  work, —  an  incompatibility  that  was 
invincible.  The  direst  poverty,  the  most  urgent  need, 
could  not  make  him  willing  to  labor:  that  must  be  done 
by  those  less  favored. 

When  all  the  disadvantages  of  the  circumstances  are 
considered,  it  seems  quite  wonderful  that  so  much  was 
done  by  the  Indians  under  the  supervision  of  the  fathers, 
and  that  what  was  done  should  have  been  done  so  well. 
There  were  no  saw-mills,  where  timber  could  be  prepared 
for  building  the  houses,  and  no  roads  by  which  it  could 
be  brought  to  the  spot  where  it  was  wanted.  In  some 
cases  the  timber  was  cut  and  hewn  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,   in   inaccessible    places,    and   the   poor  Indians 


32  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

were  obliged  to  carry  it  long  distances  on  their  shoulders. 
The  little  machinery  they  had  was  of  the  rudest  character, 
and  yet  with  all  -these  disabilities  the  churches  they  built 
continue  until  the  present  time  to  challenge  the  admi- 
ration of  beholders. 

These  churches  are  all  built  very  much  after  the  same 
pattern.  They  are  of  adobe,  or  unburned  brick,  with  tile 
roofs,  and  are  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  length.  The  width  is  generally  about  one-third  of 
the  length.  They  are  ornamented  within  with  rude  pic- 
tures and  carved  images,  clothed  in  tawdry  finery,  with  a 
mixing-in  of  gilt  and  spangles,  and  are  well  calculated  in 
their  subjects  and  treatment  to  work  upon  the  imagi- 
nations of  the  untutored  and  ignorant.  The  choirs  of  the 
churches  were  made  up  of  Indians  trained  for  the  pur- 
pose. They  were  taught  not  only  to  sing,  but  to  play  upon 
instruments.  They  were  never  paid  for  their  labor,  and 
were  taught  that,  as  the  fathers  hold  in  their  hands  the 
temporal  interests  of  the  Indians,  so  they  did  also  those 
which  were  spiritual  and  eternal.  If  they  were  disobe- 
dient, there  awaited  them  not  only  stripes  and  imprison- 
ment in  this  world,  but  torment  and  burning  flames  in 
the  world  to  come. 

Thus  the  fathers  were  supplied  with  faithful  laborers 
at  a  very  small  cost.  True,  they  were  obliged  to  feed  and 
clothe  their  vassals.  But  in  that  genial  climate  there  was 
need  of  but  little  clothing,  and  that  little,  for  the  Indians, 
was  of  the  poorest  quality.  The  men  wore  a  coarse  cloth 
girt  about  the  loins,  and  the  women  had  but  a  single 
garment,  a  sort  of  gown,  also  made  of  coarse  cloth.  Their 
food  was  inexpensive.     The .  only  trade  in  the  country  was 


HISTOET.  33 

in  hides  and  tallow,  and  beeves  were  often  slaughtered  for 
the  sake  of  these  products.  It  therefore  saved  the  flesh 
from  waste  if  it  were  given  to  the  Indians.  The  meat  of 
the  slaughtered  cattle  constituted  their  principal  food. 

At  one  time  the  twenty- two  missions  established  between 
the  years  1769  and  1822  had  dependent  upon  them  and 
subject  to  their  control  more  than  sixteen  thousand  Indians. 

The  palmy  days  of  the  missions  were  between  1800  and 
1820.  Their  possessions  in  flocks  and  herds  and  horses 
reached  an  extent  that  seems  almost  incredible.  The  mis- 
sion of  San  Miguel,  in  1821,  had  ninety-one  thousand  head 
of  cattle,  four  thousand  horses,  two  thousand  mules,  one 
hundred  and  seventy  yoke  of  oxen,  and  forty-seven  thousand 
sheep.  The  other  missions  numbered  nearly  or  quite  as 
many. 

The  only  exports  from  the  country  were  hides  and 
tallow.  The  former  were  called  "  California  bank-notes." 
The  trade  was  principally  with  Boston,  though  occasionally 
vessels  came  from  Spain,  from  Australia  and  from  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  Dry  goods  and  groceries  were  brought 
in  the  vessels  and  exchanged  for  hides  and  tallow.  Even 
so  late  as  1835-6,  when  Dana  went  to  the  Pacific  coast 
"before  the  mast,"  there  was  no  other  trade  the  whole 
length  of  the  seaboard,  and  yet  the  Spaniards  had  been  in 
possession  of  this  wonderfully  productive  country  for  nearly 
three  centuries. 

To  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  present  state  of  affairs  — 
who  knows  the  great  amount  of  business  done  at  difi"erent 
points  along  the  coast,  and  has  seen  the  flags  of  almost 
every  nation  under  the  heaven  flying  from  the  mast-heads 
of  vessels  lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  it 


34  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

is  interesting  as  well  as  strange  to  hear  that  in  January, 
1836 — that  is,  only  forty  years  ago  —  there  was  but  a 
single  vessel  in  the  bay,  and  that  was  waiting  for  hides 
to  be  brought  from  San  Jose,  whither  a  part  of  the  crew 
had  gone  for  them. 

Dana  gives  a  curious  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
these  cargoes  were  taken  on  board  the  ships.  When  the 
hide  was  taken  from  the  animal  it  was  fastened  down  to 
the  ground  at  each  of  the  four  corners,  to  keep  it  from 
shrinking  while  drying.  When  loaded  on  board  the  vessel 
each  hide  was  doubled  lengthwise  and  carried  on  the  head 
of  a  sailor  to  the  boat  that  was  to  receive  it.  Sometimes 
this  work  involved  wading  out  into  the  water  a  consider- 
able distance.  Not  unfrequently  a  sudden  gust  of  wind 
would  disturb  the  equilibrium  of  this  nicely  balanced 
head-rigging,  and  off  it  would  go  quite  away  from  the 
line  marked  out,  taking  the  poor  bearer  along  with  it, 
if  he  had  pluck  enough  to  hold  on,  to  the  unadulterated 
enjoyment  of  the  bystanders,  but  great  inconvenience  of 
the  poor  fellow  who  was  most  interested  in  the  catastrophe. 
The  sailors  were  obliged  to  have  caps  cushioned  with 
padded  wool,  to  protect  their  heads  from  the  friction  of 
the  hides,  and  save  themselves  from  becoming  "bald- 
heads"  before  their  time. 

Vessels  were  sent  out  from  Boston  with  all  sorts  of 
notions  to  be  exchanged  for  hides  and  tallow,  and  large 
fortunes  for  those  days  were  made  by  one  or  two  Boston 
merchants  in  this  trade. 

Dana  represents  the  Spaniards  and  their  Mexican  de- 
scendants as  shiftless  almost  beyond  description.  There 
was  no  working  class  among  them.     "  They  seemed  to  be 


HISTORY.  35 

a  people  upon  whom  a  curse  had  fallen  and  stripped  them 
of  everything  but  their  pride,  their  manners  and  their 
voices."  It  was  a  pleasure  to  listen  to  their  sweet,  soft 
tones,  even  though  not  a  word  could  be  understood.  The 
women  especially  were  blessed  with  that  pleasant  gift,  a 
voice  low  and  musical.  It  was  no  strange  thing  to  see  a 
Spaniard  with  the  manners  of  a  lord,  dressed  in  fine  broad- 
cloth and  velvet,  with  a  noble  horse  completely  covered 
with  trappings,  upon  which  he  sat  with  the  air  of  a  king, 
when  he  had  not  in  esse  and  scarcely  in  posse  a  cent  with 
which  to  bless  himself. 

Strange  to  tell,  a  love  of  dress  also  prevailed  among 
the  women!  Nor  was  there  always  shown  a  nice  regard 
for  the  proprieties  of  time  and  circumstance.  A  woman 
who  lived  in  two  rooms  on  literally  a  ground  floor  might 
be  seen  issuing  from  her  door  arrayed  in  a  silk  gown, 
satin  shoes  covered  with  spangles,  a  high  comb,  and  gilt, 
if  not  gold,  ear-rings  and  necklace.  Life  was  to  the  Span- 
iards a  long  holiday  without  cares  or  duties.  The  few 
trading-posts  along  the  coast  were  in  the  hands  of  "  Yan- 
kees," who  "had  left  their  consciences  at  Cape  Horn," 
married  California  wives,  abjured  the  Protestant  religion, 
adopted  the  Catholic,  and  brought  up  their  children  both 
as  Catholics  and  Spaniards.  Their  abandonment  of  Prot- 
estantism was  compulsory  if  they  wished  to  remain  in 
the  country.  Protestants  had  no  rights.  They  could 
not  own  real  estate  or  transact  business.  There  was  no 
manufacturing  done,  and  no  work  of  any  kind  performed 
that  could  be  left  undone.  Abounding  in  grapes  as  the 
country  did,  they  bought  poor  wine  at  a  high  price,  which 
was  brought  from  Boston.     They  paid  three  or  four  dollars 


36  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

a  pair  for  shoes  and  ten  or  twelve  for  boots  made  out  of 
hides  they  had  sold,  and  which  had  been  twice  around  the 
Horn.  It  is  only  by  understanding  to  some  extent  the 
character  of  this  people  that  we  are  able  to  comprehend 
how  they  could  for  so  long  have  occupied  a  country  of 
capacities  so  nearly  unlimited  without  developing  some 
of  them,  and  showing  how  extensive  they  were. 

Their  houses  were  built  of  adobe,  and  generally  had 
tile  roofs.  They  were  all  constructed  after  one  model, 
having  but  one  story  and  one  tier  of  rooms,  without 
fire-place  or  chimney,  the  work  being  generally  done 
in  a  small  out-house  built  for  the  purpose;  the  windows 
were  grated  and  without  glass,  save  in  the  houses  of  the 
more  wealthy.  Except  in  these  same  cases  the  floors  were 
the  unadulterated  earth.  But  these  Spaniards  had  one 
virtue  which  they  taught  the  Indians.  They  had  great 
regard  for  cleanliness.  To  this  day  this  attribute  or  habit 
is  retained,  and  go  where  you  will  among  the  "greasers" 
you  will  find  their  houses  tidy  and  their  earthen  floors 
swept  as  clean  as  a  broom  can  make  them,  while  the 
yards  share  in  the  same  blessing. 

All  the  work  in  the  families,  as  well  as  in  the  mis- 
sions, was  done  by  the  Indians.  As  they  were  not  paid 
for  their  labor,  and  it  cost  so  little  to  keep  them,  there 
was  no  Spaniard  so  poor  that  he  could  not,  at  least,  have 
one  or  two  menials  to  do  him  service. 

At  the  time  of  Dana's  visit,  hides  sold  at  about  two 
dollars  each,  and  not  unfrequently  articles  were  given  in 
exchange  worth  less  than  half  the  estimated  value  of  the 
skins.  In  enumerating  the  hardships  of  his  condition,  hav- 
ing to  remain  eighteen  months  on  the  coast  of  California, 


HISTORY.  37 

sailing  up  and  down  in  order  to  get  hides  enough  to  load 
a  single  vessel,  Dana  says:  "Besides  the  length  of  the 
voj^age  and  the  hard  and  exposed  life,  we  were  at  the  ends 
of  the  earth,  on  a  coast  almost  solitary,  in  a  country 
where  there  is  neither  law  nor  gospel,  and  where  sailors 
are  at  their  captain's  mercy,  there  being  no  American 
consul  or  any  one  to  whom  complaint  could  be  made." 

What  a  change  since  then!  and  that  was  only  forty 
years  ago!  One  can  now  make  the  journey  in  half  a 
score  of  days  that  then  seemed  so  nearly  endless,  and  can 
find  comfort  and  safety  everywhere.  Yet  the  writer  of 
that  lament  has  not  had  time  to  fall  into  the  "sear  and 
yellow  leaf"'  that  preludes  the  passing  away.  He  may 
yet  be  in  the  vigor  of  a  mature  manhood.  Has  Aladdin 
been  here  with  his  wonderful  lamp,  or  has  our  American 
civilization  made  the  ancient  fables  of  genii  and  giants 
seem  actualities  of  common  occurrence? 

But  the  day  of  doom  was  nearing  the  followers  of  St. 
Francis.  The  power  of  their  patron  saint  proved  insuffi- 
cient for  their  protection  M'hen  the  time  of  need  came.  In 
1822  the  people  of  Mexico  threw  off  the  Spanish  yoke  and 
put  on  one  of  their  own  making.  The  government  being 
moved  nearer  to  the  missions  had  a  better  opportunity  to 
become  informed  in  regard  to  their  wealth  and  the  extent 
of  their  possessions.  Self-abnegation  was  not  a  character- 
istic of  the  Mexican  authority.  Every  party  that  came 
into  power,  and  their  name  was  legion,  filched  something 
from  the  fathers,  who,  in  their  turn,  became  reckless  in 
regard  to  the  future,  and  careful  only  to  secure  what 
good  they  could  in  the  present  while  the  means  were 
within  their  reach. 


38  TWO   YEAKS    IK    CALIFORNIA. 

Little  by  little  their  power  and  possessions  were  in- 
fringed upon  until  finally,  in  1840,  there  was  a  grand 
swoop  made  by  the  Mexican  government,  which  took  pos- 
session of  the  missions  and  all  that  pertained  to  them. 
The  fathers  were  then  helpless  and  penniless.  In  1845 
the  Mexican  Congress  sold  the  missions  to  the  highest 
bidders. 

As  is  often  true,  the  fathers  suffered  from  their  own 
craftiness,  and  were  taken  in  the  net  which  they  had  them- 
selves spread.  As  they  had  zealously  kept  out  all  foreigners 
from  the  country,  and  as  the  Indians,  like  our  southern 
slaves,  were  chattels,  not  persons,  and  therefore  not  entitled 
to  representation,  the  inhabitants  were  not  sufficiently  nu- 
merous to  be  properly  represented  in  the  Mexican  congress. 
So  the  politicians  had  it  all  their  own  way,  and  did  not 
consult  the  interests  of  those  who  had  no  influence  in  the 
government. 

The  effects  of  the  mission  system  upon  the  Indians 
were  evil,  and  that  continually.  What  was  good  in  them 
as  savages  was  crushed  out  by  the  abject  slavery  to  which 
they  were  reduced,  while  they  took  on  in  very  scant  meas- 
ure what  was  really  good  in  their  Christian  masters.  The 
California  Indians  are  now  classed  among  the  lowest  and 
most  degraded  specimens  of  the  human  race.  But  they 
do  not  always  seem  to  have  been  of  this  type.  Cabrillo, 
who  discovered  the  country,  spent  six  months  in  what  is 
now  Santa  Barbara  county,  and  has  left  on  record  the 
names  of  forty  towns  and  villages,  or  pueblos,  that  he 
found  in  that  region  alone.  Dwelling  together  in  towns 
always  indicates  some  knowledge  in  a  people  of  trade,  and 
regard  for  mutual  rights.     The  Indians  on  the  coast  made 


HISTOKT.  39 

canoes  of  the  tule,  in  which  they  went  quite  a  distance 
out  to  sea;  and  they  kept  up  a  vigorous  trade  in  fish, 
abelone  and  other  shells  with  those  who  lived  in  the  in- 
terior. 

Father  Juniper  Serra,  who  founded  the  first  mission  in 
1769,  speaks  of  their  number  as  being  immense.  He  says: 
"  All  those  of  this  coast  live  very  contentedly  upon  various 
seeds,  and  fish  which  they  catch  from  their  canoes  made  of 
tule,  in  which  they  go  out  considerable  distances  to  sea. 
They  are  very  affable.  All  the  males,  both  large  and  small, 
go  naked;  but  the  females  are  modestly  clad,  even  to  the 
little  girls."  That  they  had  a  glimmering  idea  of  a  future 
state  is  proved  by  their  burning  the  ornaments  and  weap- 
ons of  the  dead  with  their  bodies,  that  they  might  have 
the  articles  to  use  in  the  shadowy  land  to  which  they  had 
gone.  They  expressed  their  idea  of  immortality  by  saying, 
that  "  as  the  moon  died  and  came  to  life  again,  so  would 
men  come  to  life  after  they  were  dead."  They  believed 
that  the  hearts  of  good  chiefs  went  up  to  heaven,  and 
were  converted  into  stars,  so  that  they  could  continue  to 
watch  over  their  people.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that 
they  were  not  wanting  in  courage, —  in  the  sturdiness  with 
which  they  stood  up  for  their  rights,  and  the  bravery  with 
which  they  resisted  the  encroachments  of  the  white  man. 
The  country  seems  to  have  been  thickly  populated.  Kit 
Carson  says  that  even  so  late  as  1829  the  valleys  were 
full  of  Indians;  they  were  plentiful  everywhere.  They 
were  numbered  for  the  first  time  in  1823,  when  there 
were  one  hundred  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
six.  In  1863  there  were  only  twenty-nine  thousand  three 
hundred.      There    are    probably    not    more    than    twenty 


40  TWO   TEARS    IN   CALIFORNIA. 

thousand  now.  "They  are  gone;  they  have  all  passed 
by,"  leaving  scarcely  more  than  their  names  as  me- 
mentoes. Good  taste  has  been  shown  in  retaining  many 
of  their  pleasant  titles.  Colusa,  Shasta,  Yolo,  Tehama, 
Napa,  are  specimens  of  these  bequests  received  either 
from  ti'ibes  or  noted  chiefs. 

A  mysterious  law,  which  has  within  itself  the  power  of  its 
own  execution,  seems  to  have  decreed  that  civilization  and 
barbarism  shall  not  dwell  together.  When  civilization 
comes,  the  savage  must  accept  it  or  die!  The  latter  pen- 
alty seems  to  have  been  dealt  out  to  the  Indians  with  great 
suddenness  in  California.  In  the  valleys  that  were  so 
recently  teeming  with  natives  there  is  scarcely  one  now 
to  be  found.  They  have  vanished  as  the  mist  before  the 
clear  shining  of  the  sun.  Some  of  them  have  been  gath- 
ered into  reservations  under  the  pretense  of  taking  care 
of  them.  But  it  is  too  often  such  care  as  the  wolf  takes 
of  the  lamb  that  is  in  his  jjower.  They  are  made  to  toil 
and  raise  crops,  which  are  sold  to  put  money  into  the 
pockets  of  those  who  superintend  the  reservation,  and  the 
poor  Indian  is  allowed  to  live  as  he  can.  Even  if  one  is 
not  particularly  sentimental  in  regard  to  the  Indian,  such 
wrong  and  oppression,  and  wholesale  destruction,  can 
scarcely  be  regarded  without  pain.  Their  sixty  years  of 
bondage  to  the  fathers  took  from  them  their  independence, 
and  crushed  out  whatever  manliness  there  was  in  their 
nature.  Trained  to  depend  entirely  upon  others,  when 
left  to  themselves  they'  were  like  ships  without  rudders, 
they  drifted  whithersoever  the  winds  and  the  waves  car- 
ried them,  and  these  have  borne  them  to  sure  and  swift 
destruction. 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

GEOGRAPHY  AKD  TOPOGRAPHY. 

THERE  are  three  ranges  of  mountains  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  United  States,  all  running  in  near- 
ly the  same  direction,  though  not  exactly  parallel.  The 
Appalachian  range  lies  on  the  eastern  border.  This  chain 
is  made  up  "  of  a  series  of  compact  wrinkles  of  the  earth's 
crust,"  having  within  its  limits  no  very  high  peaks,  the 
loftiest  being  not  more  than  seven  thousand  feet.  None 
of  the  different  lines  of  the  Appalachian  chain  are  im- 
mediately on  the  sea-coast.  In  New  England  the  nearest 
is  fifty  miles  back,  and  the  interval  gains  in  width  going 
southward,  until  in  the  Carolinas  it  has  a  breadth  of  two 
hundred  miles.  The*  congeries  of  ranges  belonging  to  the 
Appalachian  chain  averages  one  hundred  miles  in  width. 
Extending  west  from  this  chain  are  the  broken  foot-hills 
which  form  the  eastern  portion  of  Ohio  and  parts  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee.  Pittsburgh  is  in  this  foot-hill  coun- 
try, and  is  six  hundred  and  ninety-nine  feet  above  the 
sea-level.  From  this  point  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river 
the  descent  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  the 
level  there  being  only  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet 
above  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  .The  Ohio  river  forms  the  east- 
ern boundary  of  the  prairie  region,  the  garden  of  the 
continent,  of  which  nearly  the  whole  State  of  Illinois  can 
be  taken  as  a  type. 

Crossing  the  Mississippi,  and  still  pursuing  a  westward 


42  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

course,  when  the  western  border  of  Missouri  is  reached 
there  is  a  choice  of  two  ways  of  continuing  the  journey, 
either  of  which  will  advance  the  traveler  on  his  way  toward 
the  setting  sun.  He  can  follow  up  the  Kansas  or  the  Platte 
rivers,  both  of  them  confluents  of  the  Missouri.  He  may 
travel  up  either  of  these  rivers  more  than  five  hundred 
miles,  all  the  while  ascending,  but  ascending  so  gradually 
as  to  be  scarcely  cognizant  of  the  fact.  On  either  side 
there  is  a  vast  plain,  which  abounds  in  nutritious  grasses, 
though  destitute  of  forests  except  along  the  river  courses. 
These  are  "  the  plains  "  about  which  so  much  was  said 
in  the  early  days  of  immigration  to  the  Pacific  coast. 
These  plains  form  the  western  side  of  the  great  cen- 
tral valley  of  the  continent;  and  whatever  barrenness 
they  have  is  due  to  the  insufiicient  rain-fall,  which  is 
greatly  less  than  it  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  Only  about  one-third  as  much  rain 
falls  on  the  western  as  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  val- 
ley. This  great  American  desert  of  twenty-five  years 
ago  has  lost  its  reputation  for  barrenness.  Coal  and  iron 
are  found  there,  and  when  its  need  of  water  can  be  sat- 
isfied it  can  be  made  "to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 
Grain  and  vegetables  and  fruits  grow  in  abundance  when 
the  soil  is  properly  irrigated. 

Omaha,  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri  river, 
is  one  thousand  feet  above  sea-level,  and  from  there  the 
ascent,  going  westward,  is  continuous,  though  gradual.  In 
passing  over  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  the  first  view  of 
the  Platte  river  is  gained  just  before  reaching  Fremont, 
fifty  miles  west  of  Omaha.  This  river  is  a  disappoint- 
ment to  most  persons  who  see  it  here  for  the  first  time. 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  43 

It  seems  to  be  not  so  great  or  so  grand  as  had  been  sup- 
posed. It  is  said  that  in  the  days  when  emigrants  crossed 
the  plains  in  wagons  on  their  way  to  California,  they  were 
sometimes  obliged  to  dig  pits  in  the  river  and  let  the 
water  settle  into  them  in  order  to  get  enough  for  their 
teams  to  drink.  The  average  width  of  the  stream  is  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile,  and  the  average  depth  six  inches,  which 
shows  that  it  is  very  much  spread  out.  The  valley  is 
level  and  grand  in  its  extensiveness. 

The  Union  Pacific  railroad  follows  the  valley  of  the 
main  Platte  river  for  three  hundred  miles,  when  it  reaches 
the  North  Platte,  which  it  crosses  on  a  long  and  sub- 
stantial trestle  bridge.  The  Black  Hills  are  here  seen  in 
the  distance,  but  the  traveler  on  the  Union  Pacific  road 
looks  in  vain  for  anything  that  will  come  up  to  his  pre- 
conceived ideas  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Indeed,  if  he 
follows  the  line  of  the  railroad  he  will  fail  altogether  of 
getting  any  just  appreciation  of  the  majesty  and  grandeur 
of  this  mighty  range  of  mountains.  He  must  leave  the 
line  of  the  Union  Pacific  at  Cheyenne  and  go  one  hundred 
miles  south  to  Denver,  on  the  South  Platte.  From  Den- 
ver he  must  go  westward,  and,  if  possible,  southward  too, 
and  make  the  familiar  acquaintance  of  the  peaks  of  the 
"  snowy  range,"  get  into  the  near  neighborhood  of  Pike's 
Peak,  and  of  Grey's  Peak,  and  of  Long's,  the  three  prin- 
cipal vertebrae  of  the  back-bone  of  the  continent,  in  order 
to  know  anything  about  the  peculiarities  of  the  range  or 
the  appropriateness  of  the  name  by  which  it  is  called. 
The  Eocky  Mountains  form  the  grand  divide  which  sep- 
arates the  waters  that  flow  into  the  Atlantic  from  those 
that  flow  into  the  Pacific  ocean.     It  is  an  interesting  fact 


44  TWO   YEAKS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

that  there  is  a  point  not  far  from  Fremont's  Peak  called 
the  Three  Tetons,  from  which  can  be  seen,  at  the  same 
time,  the  beginnings  of  the  Lewis  or  south  fork  of  the 
Columbia  river,  the  Yellowstone,  a  confluent  of  the  Mis- 
souri, and  the  Green  river,  a  branch  of  the  Colorado. 
Like  children,  that  are  sheltered  under  one  roof  in  infancy, 
then  find  their  devious  ways  into  the  great  world,  and 
take  upon  themselves  each  his  own  duties,  and  lie  down 
at  last  in  far  distant  graves,  so  these  rivers,  starting 
from  one  birthplace,  run  their  courses  in  different  direc- 
tions and  find  different  fates  in  the  end.  The  Lewis  fork, 
after  turning  southward,  and  then  westward,  and  again 
northward,  unites  with  the  north  fork  of  the  Columbia, 
and  the  two  together  joining  their  forces  for  the  purpose, 
break  their  way  through  the  Cascade  mountains  that 
vainly  place  themselves  in  the  path  to  impede  their  pro- 
gress. In  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  undertaking, 
these  united  rivers,  now  forming  a  unit,  originate  some 
of  the  grandest  scenery  in  the  world,  and  then  go  on 
peacefully  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  find  the  ocean 
they  have  been  so  long  seeking.  The  Yellowstone,  taking 
an  opposite  direction,  after  furnishing  fields  of  delight  for 
the  naturalist  and  a  national  park  for  the  country,  makes 
its  way  to  the  Missouri  river,  and  through  that  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Atlantic  ocean.  Finally,  the  Green 
river  goes  southward  and  westward  till  it  reaches  the 
Colorado  river,  and  having  entered  into  partnership  with 
this  stream  the  two  go  together  to  the  Gulf  of  California, 
and  through  that  flow  into  the  Pacific  ocean. 

The  plateau  between  the  Rocky  and  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains   has  an  average  width  of  one  thousand   miles, 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  45 

and  Prof.  Whitney  says  that  it  nowhere  descends  to  less 
than  four  thousand  feet  above  sea-level.  In  this  plateau 
lies  the  Great  Basin,  in  which  all  the  streams  within  its 
confines  are  lost  because  they  can  find  no  way  out.  The 
Humboldt  river  is  on  the  western  side  of  the  basin,  and 
is  among  the  rivers  that  are  obliged  to  sink  because  they 
can  no  longer  swim.  The  Wasatch  and  Humboldt  mount- 
ains are  isolated  ranges  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Great  Basin,  or  forming  its  eastern  rim,  and  separating 
it  from  the  Colorado  and  the  land  which  the  river  drains. 
The  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  form  the  western  border 
of  the  basin. 

As  California  is  the  objective  point  in  the  present  writ- 
ing, the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast  Range  mountains 
are  those  which  most  concern  us  and  with  which  we  shall 
have  mainly  to  do.  These  two  ranges  of  mountains  give 
to  California  its  most  marked  peculiarities,  and  have  hith- 
erto been  the  sources  of  its  chief  wealth.  The  great  gold 
region  is  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mount- 
ains and  the  adjacent  foot-hills.  Everywhere  in  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Joaquin  valleys  these  two  mountain  ranges 
are  seen,  forming  the  visible  and  distinct  lines  of  boundary; 
the  Sierra  Nevada  range,  with  here  and  there  a  white- 
capped  peak,  on  the  east,  the  less  pretentious  Coast  Range 
on  the  west. 

The  Sierra  Nevadas  ai-e  made  up  of  a  series  of  ranges, 
which  average  about  seventy  miles  in  width.  The  Coast 
Range  consists  of  chains,  which  aggregate  about  forty 
miles  in  width.  There  is  a  great  and  essential  difference 
in  the  structure  and  conformation  of  the  two  ranges. 
The  Sierra  Nevadas   can  be  traced  in   consecutive   order 


46  TWO   YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

for  a  great  distance.  There  are  two  lines  of  culminating 
peaks  that  can  be  followed  through  the  whole  five  hun- 
dred miles  over  which  they  extend  within  the  boundary 
of  California.  In  the  Coast  Range  the  continuity  is  con- 
tinually broken.  Everywhere  there  are  confusion  and  dis- 
order. Each  mountain  seems  to  be  the  product  of  a  local 
cause  and  independent  of  its  fellows.  The  minerals  are 
different  in  the  several  eminences,  which  are  in  close 
neighborhood.  There  are  peaks  that  elevate  their  heads 
from  fifteen  hundred  to  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea- 
level,  but  there  is  no  connection  between  them,  and  their 
direction  cannot  be  reduced  to  any  mathematical  line.  In 
the  Sierra  Nevada  range  there  is,  on  the  contrary,  great 
regularity  in  the  elevations  and  depressions.  Prof.  Whit- 
ney draws  a  line  which  he  calls  "the  main  axial  line  of 
the  State,"  which  cuts  through  very  near  all  the  highest 
peaks  in  the  State  from  Mount  Shasta  on  the  north  to 
Mount  Whitney  on  the  south.  This  line  thus  extended 
runs  straight  for  five  hundred  miles.  East  of  these  cul- 
minating peaks  there  is  a  series  of  lakes,  the  principal  of 
which  are  Klamath,  Pyramid,  Mono  and  Owen's.  The 
highest  peaks  in  North  America  are  found  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas. 

The  range  is  rich  in  mineral  wealth  beyond  any  other 
locality  known  in  the  world.  It  has  gold  hidden  away  in 
its  secret  places,  which  men  are  only  beginning  to  find 
ways  of  discovering  and  bringing  to  its  proper  use.  The 
greater  part  of  the  ore  that  has  been  obtained  as  yet 
has  been  found  in  the  western  declivity  of  the  mountains. 
In  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  yield  of  the  precious 
metal  from  these  fields  has  been   nine  hundred  and  fifty 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  47 

million  dollars,  and  they  now  afford  thirty-seven  per  cent, 
of  the  whole  amount  of  production,  and  ten  per  cent, 
more  than  Australia.  Nor  is  gold  all  the  wealth  which 
these  mountains  contain.  In  the  range  and  its  offshoots, 
silver,  copper,  iron  and  coal  are  hidden  away,  waiting  for 
the  ingenuity  and  industry  of  man  to  bring  them  forth 
and  convert  them  to  use. 

While  these  opulent  mines  lie  beneath  the  surface, 
there  are  upon  it  the  finest  coniferous  trees  that  can  be 
found  on  the  continent,  or  in  the  world.  The  habitat  of 
the  big  tree  is  here,  and  well  up  toward  heaven.  No  air 
less  pure  than  that  which  rests  away  up  a  mile  or  so 
above  the  fogs  and  miasms  of  the  world  would  suffice  to 
give  trees  a  circumference  of  over  one  hundred  feet,  and 
a  height  of  three  hundred  and  more.  Although  this  tree 
has  been  found  in  so  many  localities,  it  is  observed  that 
all  have  an  elevation  of  from  four  to  six  thousand  feet 
above  sea-level.  Between  the  high  mountains  of  this 
region  there  are  valleys  interspersed,  among  which  are 
lovely  nooks,  where  almost  all  kinds  of  fruit  ripen,  and 
the  grape  delights  to  grow,  and  the  climate  is  well  adapted 
to  comfort,  and  conducive  to  health.  The  Sierra  Nevada 
range  is  not  only  unsurpassed  in  extent  and  altitude  by 
any  other  range  in  North  America,  but  it  is  unequaled 
in  its  wonderful  scenery,  as  well  as  in  mineral  and  vege- 
table wealth.  The  Yosemite  valley  stands  alone,  peerless 
among  ten  thousand;  yet,  every  year  new  discoveries  are 
made  of  the  wonders  that  are  shut  up  in  the  high  Sierras. 

The  wealth  that  has  been  brought  out  of  these  mount- 
ains has  revolutionized  the  commerce  of  the  world,  and 
affected    its    civilization    everywhere.      In    effecting    this 


48  TWO    YEARS    IN"    CALIFORNIA. 

change,  wonderful  energy  and  skill  have  been  developed 
in  the  explorers  and  workers.  Yet  what  has  been  is  only 
a  foretaste  of  that  which  will  be.  What  prophet  dare 
predict  the  further  mighty  impulses  that  may  be  given  to 
the  population  of  the  globe  by  the  influences  that  will  go 
out  from  this  young  member  of  our  family  of  States? 

The  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  —  as  the  name  is  popu- 
larly used  —  are  limited  to  California,  and  extend  from 
the  Tejon  pass  on  the  south  to  Mount  Shasta  on  the 
north,  a  distance  of  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
The  highest  peaks  are  in  the  southern  part  of  the  range. 
As  is  true  of  almost  all  high  mountains,  the  central  core 
is  granite.  In  the  most  elevated  portion  of  the  Sierra 
this  granite  core  is  forty  miles  wide. 

In  both  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast  Range  the 
mountain  walls  are  often  broken,  and  lovely  valleys  are 
thrown  in  between  the  fractured  parts.  There  are  valleys 
lying  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas  from  three  to  seven  thousand 
feet  above  sea-level,  with  climates  so  exhilarating  and  de- 
lightful as  to  leave  little  to  be  desired.  The  valleys  in 
the  Coast  Range  are  not  so  elevated,  but  they  are  larger 
and  more  lovely.  The  Coast  Range  has  a  way  of  furnishing 
the  conditions  for  vegetable  growth  to  the  very  tojDS  of  the 
mountains.  Peaks  three  thousand  feet  high  are  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  wild  oats  to  the  very  summit. 
In  the  Coast  Range,  and  among  its  foot-hills,  the  red-wood, 
that  other  member  of  the  sequoia  family,  has  its  home, 
and  is  found  nowhere  else.  This  tree,  while  less  cele- 
brated than  its  cotifrere  the  big  tree,  is  more  useful,  and 
when  seen  in  the  large  groves  in  which  it  stands,  is 
scarcely  less  imposing. 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  49 

The  loftiest  peaks  in  the  Coast  Range  are  lirv^  compared 
with  the  giants  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Mount  Hamilton, 
fifteen  miles  from  San  Jose,  is  the  highest  point  seen  from 
San  Francisco.  It  is  only  four  thousand  four  hundred  feet 
hisfh,  ten  thousand  feet  below  the  summit  of  Mount  Shasta. 
It  is  so  surrounded  by  other  peaks  not  much  less  elevated 
that  it  is  not  easily  distinguishable,  while  Monte  Diablo, 
which  is  not  so  high  by  nearly  one  thousand  feet,  is  much 
more  conspicuous,  because  of  its  isolated  position  near  the 
break  made  in  the  range  through  which  the  bay  empties  its 
waters  through  the  Golden  Gate  into  the  ocean. 

Going  north  or  south  from  the  central  portion,  the  peaks 
become  more  elevated,  as  if  preparing  to  meet  the  range 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  on  terms  more  nearly  approaching 
equality.  In  these  extremities  of  the  range  there  are  peaks 
that  reach  an  altitude  of  eight  thousand  feet. 

The  scenery  of  the  Coast  Range  is  less  grand  than  that 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  "  line  of  beauty  "  prevails  very 
generally,  and  gives  rounded  outlines  to  the  mountains 
and  gentle  swells  to  the  foot-hills.  The  valleys  are  more 
influential  in  giving  character  to  the  scenery  than  the  ele- 
vations. Nowhere  else  can  valleys  be  seen  that  are  so 
park-like.  The  tree  that  is  oftenest  met  with  is  the  oak; 
and  no  one  knows  how  beautiful  an  oak  may  be  until  the 
specimens  that  prevail  here  are  seen.  Their  limbs  droop 
with  the  graceful  sweep  of  the  New  England  elm,  and 
attain  such  magnitude  that  the  trees  seem  to  be  crowned 
with  majesty  and  power.  It  would  be  a  very  cold  heart 
or  a  very  critical  eye  to  which  they  would  not  appeal 
successfully  for  admiration.  There  are  some  single  oaks 
in  the  Napa  valley,  in  the  vicinity  of  Calistoga,  that  would 


50  TWO   YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

well  pay  one  for  going  far  to  see.  This  grand  and  beautiful 
tree  is  the  burr-oak  ( Quercus  macrocarpa).  The  trees  do 
not  cover  the  ground  thickly,  but  are  scattered  here  and 
there,  as  though  they  thought  too  much  of  themselves  to 
crowd  together  in  herds  like  their  common  brethren.  They 
present  the  appearance  of  having  been  planted  by  a  skillful 
artist,  who  wished  to  produce  the  best  scenic  effect  and 
placed  them  just  far  enough  apart  to  make  them  imposing. 
Occasionally  a  live-oak  is  seen  among  them,  which,  being 
much  less  grand  and  beautiful,  looks  as  though  it  might 
be  glad  to  dwell  in  such  grand  company. 

These  Coast  Range  mountains  occasion  some  confusion  in 
the  minds  of  strangers  on  account  of  the  great  variety  of 
names  by  which  they  are  called,  as  well  as  by  their  want 
of  connection  with  one  another.  The  Spaniards  must  have 
nearly  exhausted  the  titles  of  their  saints  in  getting  de- 
nominations to  apply  to  the  different  ranges.  They  were  a 
very  godly  people,  these  Spaniards,  judging  by  their  famil- 
iarity with  and  regard  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  spirit- 
world.  No  name  was  given  to  anything  that  had  not  a 
San  or  a  Santa  prefixed.  Either  a  masculine  or  a  femi- 
nine saint  must  stand  sponsor  when  anything  was  to  be 
christened. 

Of  the  different  ranges  of  mountains  that  belong  to  the 
general  family  of  the  Coast  Range,  the  longest,  best  defined 
and  best  known  is  the  Monte  Diablo  range,  which  extends 
from  Monte  Diablo,  thirty  miles  north  of  San  Francisco,  to 
Los  Gatos.  It  covers  a  territory  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  long  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  wide. 
This  range  contains  the  only  coal  mines  that  have  as  yet 
been  profitably  worked  in  the  State.     It  forms  the  western 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.         51 

boundary  of  the  great  San  Joaquin  valley.  All  the  mines 
of  cinnabar  or  quicksilver  that  have  as  yet  proved  suffi- 
ciently rich  to  pay  for  working  are  in  the  Coast  Range 
or  the  foot-hills  adjacent. 

The  Coast  Range  inosculates  with  the  Sierra  Nevada 
both  at  its  northern  and  southern  extremity.  There  are 
spurs  that  cross  from  the  one  to  the  other  range,  and  to 
which  they  belong  can  only  be  decided  upon  examination 
of  their  age.  The  Sierra  Nevada  range  is  entitled  to  the 
honor  of  seniority  according  to  the  tests  of  geology.  Near 
Fort  Tejon,  in  latitude  35°,  the  ranges  close  in  on  all  sides, 
and  it  becomes  impossible  any  longer  to  draw  a  line  of 
distinction  between  the  two  great  chains.  So  also  on  the 
north,  Mount  Shasta  seems  to  be  the  point  where  they 
consolidate,  though  after  a  while  they  both  spring  up  out 
of  the  ground  again,  and  under  new  names  traverse  Ore- 
gon and  Washington;  the  Coast  Range  taking  the  more 
ambitious  name  of  Olympian  mountains,  and  the  Sierra 
Nevada  exchanging  its  Spanish  cognomen  for  the  plain 
English  name  Cascade. 

3* 


52  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER  V. 

DIMENSIONS   AND   DIVISIONS. 

CALIFORNIA  extends  through  more  than  ten  degrees 
of  latitude,  from  32°  40'  to  42°.  The  length  of  the 
State  is  seven  hundred  miles,  and  the  average  width,  fifty. 
It  has  a  coast  ra;nge  equal  in  length  to  that  included  be- 
tween Plymouth,  Mass.,  and  Charleston,  S.  C.  The  State 
contains  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  square  miles,  an 
area  greater  than  that  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  all 
the  New  England  States  put  together,  and  equal  to  Eng- 
land and  Ireland  with  a  few  of  the  smaller  German  prin- 
cipalities thrown  in.  In  variety  of  climate,  soil  and  pro- 
ductions it  is  scarcely  equaled  by  any  country  or  countries 
of  similar  extent,  so  that  it  has  within  itself  the  elements 
out  of  which  an  empire  might  be  made. 

Southern  California  is  usually  considered  as  extending 
from  36°  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  State.  It  in- 
cludes seven  counties:  San  Diego,  San  Bernardino,  Los 
Angeles,  Ventura,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Luis  Obispo  and 
Kern. 

These  counties  embrace  nearly  one-third  of  the  territory 
of  the  State,  and  contain  fifty  thousand  square  miles,  or 
more  than  thirty  millions  of  acres  of  land,  three-fourths 
of  which  is  adapted  either  to  agricultural  or  grazing  pur- 
poses. This  is  the  very  garden  of  the  State.  Here  is  the 
home  of  the  orange  and  the  fig  and  the  olive  and  the 
pomegranate,  the  lemon  and   the  almond,  while   there   is 


SOUTHER>r    CALIFORXIA.  53 

good  reason  to  believe  that  the  tea-plant,  the  banana  and 
the  India-rubber  tree  will  take  so  kindly  to  the  soil  that 
their  culture  will  be  profitable.  The  one  great  want  com- 
mon to  nearly  all  this  region  is  water.  Supply  that  to  the 
land  in  sufficient  quantities,  and  there  will  scarcely  be  a 
limit  to  the  kind  or  extent  of  its  productions. 

San  Diego,  the  southernmost  of  these  counties,  is  in 
itself  so  extensive  as  to  be  sufficient  for  a  principality. 
Although  the  Colorado  desert  covers  one-third  of  its  sur- 
face, and  mountains  and  caiions  four  millions  of  acres 
more,  there  are  still  left  two  millions  of  acres  suitable 
for  farming  or  grazing. 

The  Colorado  desert  is  a  desert  only  for  the  want  of 
water.  Treeless  and  arid  as  it  is,  the  soil  is  rich,  and 
with  a  sufficient  supply  of  moisture  would  be  fertile  and 
fruitful.  The  delta  between  the  Gila  and  the  Colorado, 
which  is  the  very  heart  of  the  desert,  seems  once  to  have 
been  the  bed  of  the  rivers  that  now  inclose  it,  they  hav- 
ing made  for  themselves  new  channels.  The  curious  fact 
that  this  delta  is  lower  than  the  Gulf  of  California,  into 
which  the  rivers  flow,  will  make  it  easy  of  irrigation. 
Hence  it  is  very  probable  that  the  time  will  come  when 
this  desert  will  have  the  same  history  that  some  of  the 
deserts  of  other  days  already  have  —  it  will  be  among  the 
things  that  have  been  and  are  not. 

Fort  Yuma,  a  government  post  in  the  southeastern 
corner  of  this  county,  is  at  the  same  time  the  hottest  and 
the  dryest  place  in  the  State.  The  mercury  reaches  122°  in 
the  shade  in  summer,  and  the  average  rain-fall  is  three 
inches  per  annum. 

There  are  some  strange  phenomena  in  this  part  of  the 


54  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

county  —  indeed,  there  is  much  evidence  to  show  that  th6 
greater  part  of  southeastern  California  is  in  an  unfinished 
state  —  that  nature  has  not  so  far  concluded  the  job  of 
"fixing  up"  as  to  be  ready  to  turn  it  over  to  man  for 
use  and  occupation.  Not  a  few  of  these  strange  things 
it  would  well  repay  the  curious  to  go  and  see.  A  few 
miles  southwest  of  Don  Palmas  there  is  a  broad  valley, 
bounded  by  ranges  of  hills  of  hard-baked  red  clay,  called 
the  Chocolate  mountains.  In  this  valley  there  is  the  dry 
bed  of  a  lake  forty  miles  in  circumference,  and  nearly 
eighty  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  This  great  basin 
is  separated  by  a  level  plain,  about  five  miles  wide,  from 
the  dry  beds  of  a  number  of  creeks,  which  appear  to  have 
been  once  connected  with  it.  Nearly  in  the  center  of  this 
plain  there  is  a  lake  of  boiling  mud,  about  half  a  mile 
in  length  by  five  hundred  yards  in  width.  In  this  curious 
caldron  the  thick,  grayish,  pasty  earth  is  continually  in 
motion,  hissing  and  bubbling,  with  jets  of  boiling  water 
and  clouds  of  sulphurous  vapor  bursting  through  the  tena- 
cious crust,  and  rising  high  in  the  air  with  repor-ts  often 
heard  at  a  considerable  distance.  The  whole  region  around 
this  lake  appears  to  be  underlaid  with  this  liquid  soil, 
for  the  ground  trembles  under  foot,  and  subterranean 
noises  are  heard  in  all  directions.  Hot  springs  and  sul- 
phur deposits  are  numerous  for  many  miles  around. 

In  1867  a  large  spring  of  pure,  cool  water  began  to 
flow  from  a  fissure  in  a  high  bluff  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  station  at  Don  Palmas,  where  there  had  been 
no  water  before.  This  strange  event  was  heralded  by  no 
earthquake  or  unusual  disturbance,  and  it  was  all  the  more 
strange  from  the  fact  that  none  of  the  wells  previously 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  55 

sunk  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  desert  afforded  sweet  water. 
In  all  cases  the  liquid  was  so  impregnated  with  different 
kinds  of  salts  and  alkali  as  to  be  unfit  for  use. 

San  Diego  county  entered  the  ranks  of  the  bullion- 
producing  counties  in  1870.  Gold  was  found  in  the  Isa- 
bella mountains,  forty-two  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of 
San  Diego.  There  was  quite  an  excitement  about  these 
mines  for  a  time,  the  ore  being  pronounced  of  unusual 
richness.  A  hamlet  sprang  up  at  once,  as  is  usual  in  min- 
ing districts,  to  which  the  name  of  Julian  City  was  given. 
Subsequent  tests  did  not  justify  the  first  expectations  in 
regard  to  the  richness  of  the  ore,  and  many  incipient 
plans  failed  of  execution  for  want  of  the  necessary  capital. 
San  Diego,  the  county  seat  and  principal  town  in  the 
county,  is  the  oldest  settlement  in  the  State.  The  first 
of  that  series  of  missions  which  was  established  along  the 
coast  by  the  followers  of  St.  Francis  was  established  here 
in  1769.  The  new  settlement  was  placed  under  the  tute- 
lary guardianship  of  their  patron  saint,  San  Diego,  the 
Spanish  for  St.  James,  and  his  name  given  to  the  mission 
and  to  the  bay  near  which  it  was  situated.  Afterward 
the  title  suffered  another  repetition  and  was  given  to  the 
county. 

The  San  Diego  mission  was  one  of  the  richest  on  the 
coast.  As  the  years  passed  the  fathers  waxed  both  mighty 
and  rich.  Their  flocks  and  herds  were  numbered  by  the 
tens  of  thousands,  as  were  also  their  horses  and  mules. 
Their  harbor,  being  the  best  then  known  on  the  southern 
coast,  attracted  commerce,  and  made  the  town  the  center 
of  whatever  trade  existed.  This  was,  however,  very  lim- 
ited, the  exports  being  confined  to  tallow  and  hides.     For 


56  TWO   TEAKS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

some  years  there  was  no  other  harbor  known  on  the 
coast.  The  bay  of  San  Francisco  was  not  discovered  for 
several  years  after  the  mission  was  established  at  San 
Diego,  and  some  time  w^as  allowed  to  elapse,  even  after  its 
discovery,  before  its  value  as  a  harbor  was  recognized. 

San  Diego  was  the  general  depot  for  all  the  business 
on  the  seaboard.  The  custom  was  for  vessels  to  sail  along 
the  coast  and  gather  up  the  hides  which  the  other  mis- 
sions had  to  sell,  and  bring  them  all  to  San  Diego,  where 
they  were  stored  until  enough  were  obtained  to  load  a 
vessel.  Sometimes  months  were  employed  in  getting  to- 
gether enough  for  a  cargo.  When  Dana  was  on  the  coast 
in  1836-7  it  took  a  year  and  a  half  to  collect  a  load  for 
the  vessel  upon  which  he  returned  to  Boston. 

The  mission  was  surrounded  by  extensive  gardens  and 
vineyards,  which  were  cultivated  by  the  Indians  under 
the  direction  of  the  fathers.  The  church  buildings  were 
large  and  fine,  at  least  for  the  period  in  which  they  were 
erected.  They  are  now  crumbling  away  under  the  influ- 
ence of  "time's  effacing  fingers."  In  1866  the  bells  that 
for  three-fourths  of  a  century  had  called  the  Indians  to 
prayer  and  to  labor,  were  taken  from  the  belfry.  Of  the 
gardens  scarcely  anything  remains  except  the  olive  orchard. 

The  old  town  of  San  Diego  is  near  the  harbor  of  the 
same  name.  Two  miles  distant  is  the  new  town,  where 
the  government  stores  are  kept.  Some  substantial  resi- 
dences and  a  wharf  have  been  built  here  within  a  few 
years.  Notwithstanding  the  fine  climate  of  San  Diego,  its 
growth  has  been  slow,  mainly  because  of  the  depressed 
condition  of  the  agricultural  interests  in  the  region  round 
about.     The  want  o-f  water  is  the  blight  that  rests  upon 


SOUTHEKN    CALIFORNIA.  57 

this  otherwise  surpassingly  fine  country.  With  the  second 
best  harbor  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  such  a  climate  as 
can  scarcely  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  world,  the  place 
has  not  kept  up,  in  the  race  of  progress,  with  other  towns 
which  are  in  many  ways  less  favored.  Where  no  water 
exists,  or  but  very  little,  agriculture  cannot  flourish;  and 
without  this  for  a  basis,  no  place  can  really  prosper.  It 
has  been  said  of  the  San  Diegoans  that  they  live  upon  a  hope 
and  a  reality,  and  all  their  great  expectations  for  the  fu- 
ture are  based  upon  these  two.  They  hope  for  a  railroad, 
and  they  have  a  harbor.  The  Texas  Pacific  railroad  is  to 
make  this  place  the  point  of  approach  to  the  Pacific  coast. 
But,  though  the  railroad  may  do  much,  it  is  not  probable 
that  it  will  bring  general  prosperity.  There  must  be  some 
plan  devised  for  irrigating  the  soil,  and  thereby  advancing 
agricultural  interests,  before  the  town  will  enjoy  a  health- 
ful growth  and  assured  well  being. 

Twelve  miles  south  of  San  Diego  is  placed  the  stone 
monument  erected  by  government  to  show  where  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  United  States  ends  and  that  of  Mexico  be- 
gins. San  Diego  is  five  hundred  miles  from  San  Francisco 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  from  Los  Angeles.  At 
present  there  is  but  little  to  attract  persons  to  the  place 
except  its  rarely  fine  climate.  In  this  respect,  it  is  thought 
by  those  who  have  tried  other  places  in  California,  to- 
gether with  the  principal  health-resorts  in  Europe,  to  be 
nearly  or  quite  without  a  rival.  To  those  who  require  an 
equable,  dry  and  sunny  climate  it  cannot  fail  to  be  attract- 
ive and  beneficial.  The  average  rain-fall  is  but  ten  inches 
per  annum,  and  there  is  never  enough  at  one  time  to  cause 
3* 


58  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

it  to  be  muddy.  There  is  a  good  hotel  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  visitors,  in  which  the  charges  are  moderate. 

San  Bernardino  county  is  the  largest  in  the  State;  yet 
three-fourths  of  the  ten  millions  of  acres  which  it  contains 
consist  of  dry  and  desert-like  valleys,  volcanic  ranges  and 
inaccessible  mountains.  In  the  Armagoza  valley  there  is 
fertile  land  and  also  good  water.  The  Armagoza  river 
flows  northward,  and  sinks  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county.  This  sink  and  the  region  around  it  form  the 
great  Death  Valley,  than  which  a  more  fearful,  uncanny 
place  can  scarcely  be  imagined.  It  is  four  hundred  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  sea,  a  depression  greater  than  that 
of  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  Only  seventy  miles  west^of  this  depression  rise  some 
of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains. 
Death  Valley  was  probably,  at  some  time  in  the  past,  the 
bed  of  a  lake,  the  waters  of  which  were  heavily  charged 
with  salt  and  soda.  A  large  portion  of  the  basin  is  in- 
crusted  with  these  minerals,  which  in  some  places  are  sev- 
eral inches  deep.  The  remainder  of  the  surface  of  the 
valley  is  composed  of  an  ash-like  earth  mixed  with  a  tena- 
cious clay,  sand  and  alkali,  and  is  so  soft  that  a  man  can- 
not travel  over  it  without  difficulty,  and  beasts  of  burden 
cannot  cross  it  at  all. 

In  spots  where  there  is  least  moisture,  the  surface  is  so 
porous  that  a  horse  sinks  half-way  to  his  knees  at  every 
step.  Water  can  be  obtained  almost  anywhere  by  digging 
down  a  few  feet,  but  it  is  so  saline  and  bitter  that  it 
can  be  used  neither  by  man  nor  beast.  There  are  no 
traces  of  vegetation  except  a  few  clumps  of  useless  shrubs 
on  the  border  of  the  valley,  and  no  sign  of  animal    life 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  59 

except  a  black  gnat,  of  which  there  are  myriads,  which 
enter  the  eyes,  ears  and  noses  of  travelers,  and  are  annoy- 
ing beyond  description. 

The  valley  derives  its  lugubrious  name  from  the  mel- 
ancholy fate  of  a  party  of  emigrants  who,  in  1849,  perished 
within  its  limits.  The  bones,  bleached  by  the  sun,  and  the 
cooking  utensils  and  other  accouterments  of  the  unfortunate 
party  are  still  met  with  in  the  valley.  The  company  wan- 
dered about,  no  one  knows  how  long,  in  search  of  water, 
and  died  because  they  found  none. 

This  dreadful  valley  is  one  hundred  miles  long  and 
twenty  wide.  Along  its  center  there  is  a  strip  of  salt 
marsh,  forty-five  miles  long  and  fifteen  broad.  Over  this 
whole  extent  a  thin  layer  of  soil  covers  an  unknown  depth 
of  soft,  gray  mud.  This  is  the  sink  of  the  Armagoza 
river.  There  is  a  wide  circuit  of  country  round  about 
this  valley  in  which  no  pure  water  can  be  found.  Springs 
are  not  infrequent,  but  the  water  is  so  bitter  and  acrid  as 
to  be  entirely  useless. 

The  heat  of  this  valley  is  fearful  during  the  summer, 
and  even  in  winter  it  is  very  great.  An  exploring  party 
who  visited  it  in  January,  1869,  found  the  temperature 
90°  Fahrenheit.  When  there  is  no  breeze,  the  air  be- 
comes so  dense  and  overcharged  that  respiration  is  pain- 
ful and  difficult.  South  of  this  fearful  place  is  the  sink 
of  the  Mohave.  The  Mohave  river  rises  in  Bear  valley, 
and,  running  sometimes  over  and  sometimes  under  the 
surface  for  one  hundred  miles,  finally  disappears  in  the 
earth,  forming  what  is  known  as  Soda  lake.  This  is  rather 
a  peculiar  sort  of  lake,  since  there  is  never  any  water  in  it ! 
It  is  twenty  miles  long  and  five  miles  wide.     Even  in  the 


60  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

rainy  season  all  the  water  that  is  brought  by  the  Mohave 
river  is  absorbed  by  the  alkaline  soil  as  soon  as  it  reaches 
the  spot.  The  whole  surface  of  the  lake  is  so  covered  with 
the  carbonate  of  soda  that  it  looks  like  an  immense  bed 
of  snow. 

The  southwestern  part  of  the  county  is  more  attractive. 
The  best  agricultural  district  in  the  county  is  located  here, 
and  here  is  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  San  Bernardino  river. 
This  valley  is  fifty  miles  in  length  and  twenty  in  breadth, 
with  mountains  on  the  north,  south  and  east,  which  are 
well  timbered,  and  make  a  beautiful  setting  for  the  rich 
lands  which  they  inclose. 

The  present  town  of  San  Bernardino  was  laid  out  by 
the  Mormons  in  1847,  and  according  to  the  same  general 
plan  that  was  afterward  adopted  in  laying  out  Salt  Lake 
city.  The  streets  cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  and 
inclose  lots  which  contain  from  one  to  five  acres,  so  that 
the  houses  are  all  surrounded  by  abundant  space  for 
gardens.  In  1856  nearly  all  the  Mormons  abandoned  the 
place  and  went  to  Salt  Lake. 

The  San  Bernardino  valley  contains  thirty-six  thousand 
acres,  and  has  the  advantage  over  most  parts  of  south- 
ern California  in  being  well  watered.  There  is  not  only 
running  water  which  never  fails,  but  artesian  wells  have 
been  successfully  bored.  Flowing  water,  and  that  which  is 
good,  is  found  by  boring  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three 
hundred  feet.  One  of  these  wells  will  irrigate  a  consider- 
able tract  of  land.  Very  good  crops  of  grain  are  raised 
without  irrigation,  by  taking  advantage  of  the  conditions 
of  the  season.  If  wheat  and  barley  are  put  in  the  ground 
in  time  to  have  the  benefit  of  a  considerable  part  of  the 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  61 

winter  rain,  a  harvest  of  from  forty  to  sixty  bushels  to  the 
acre  can  be  gathered  in  time  to  put  in  Indian  corn,  so 
as  to  obtain  a  yield  of  from  sixty  to  seventy  bushels  per 
acre,  as  a  second  crop. 

Alfalfa,  the  Chilian  clover,  is  cut  seven  times  in  the 
year,  and  yields,  in  all,  from  ten  to  fifteen  tons  to  the  acre. 
The  semi-tropical  fruits  do  as  well  in  San  Bernardino  as 
at  Los  Angeles,  while  land  is  cheaper  and  better  terms 
are  offered  to  settlers.  The  climate  is  especially  delight- 
ful. Being  seventy-five  miles  from  the  ocean,  the  climate 
is  more  salubrious  and  grateful  to  many  invalids  than 
that  of  places  on  or  near  the  coast. 

The  Riverside  colony  is  established  near  San  Ber- 
nardino. The  company  own  eight  thousand  acres  of  land. 
They  have  brought  sufficient  water  down  in  a  flume  to 
irrigate  not  only  their  entire  tract  of  land,  but  much  more 
besides.  This  colony  offers  many  inducements  to  settlers, 
among  which  are  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  a  post- 
office,  and  a  school-house. 

Los  Angeles  county  has  attracted  more  attention  than 
any  other  part  of  southern  California.  The  county  seat 
and  principal  town  has  the  same  name  as  the  county.  The 
full  Spanish  name  was  Pueblo  de  Los  Angeles  (the  city  of 
the  angels).  The  name  must  have  been  given  prospect- 
ively, to  be  ready  for  a  time  that  has  not  yet  come,  unless 
we  can  suppose  that  the  angels  care  more  for  beautiful 
natural  environments  than  for  moral  character;  for,  dis- 
tinguished as  the  place  is  for  the  former,  in  the  latter  it  is 
considered  below  par,  according  to  the  not  too  high  stand- 
ard of  California. 

Los  Angeles   is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the   State, 


62  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

and  had  laid  aside  its  swaddling-clothes  before  San  Fran- 
cisco had  any  being.  It  is  situated  in  a  narrow  valley, 
which  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  low  hills  that  extend  from 
the  Santa  Monica  mountains,  about  forty  miles  distant,  and 
on  the  east  by  the  rising  land  of  the  San  Gabriel  plain, 
through  which  the  Los  Angeles  river  flows.  The  old  or 
Mexican  part  of  the  town  extends  up  the  valley  nearly  a  mile. 
Here  are  still  seen  the  original  adobe  houses,  with  their 
flat  roofs  covered  with  asphaltum,  and  surrounded  by  broad 
verandahs,  in  the  common  Mexican  style  of  architecture. 
But  elsewhere  the  appearance  of  the  town  shows  that  the 
Americans  have  appeared,  and  brought  with  them  their 
usual  energy  and  thrift. 

All  through  southern  California  a  somewhat  singular 
distinction  is  made  in  the  inhabitants.  They  are  divided 
into  the  two  classes,  Americans  and  Californians.  Under 
the  former  head  are  included  all  Anglo-Saxons,  no  matter 
whence  they  came  or  how  long  they  have  been  in  the 
country.  Under  the  latter  are  embraced  the  Spanish  and 
their  descendants,  and  all  mixed  races,  of  which  there  are 
many.  Under  the  old  Spanish  and  Mexican  rule  the  pure 
Castilians  constitute  the  aristocracy  of  the  country,  and 
they  are  still  first  among  Californians.  The  hybrid  de- 
scendants of  the  Mexicans  and  Indians  have  the  additional 
sobriquet  of  "  Greasers  "  bestowed  upon  them. 

Both  the  Los  Angeles  and  San  Gabriel  rivers  are  by 
courtesy  said  to  flow  into  the  ocean,  and  are  so  represented 
on  the  maps;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  neither  of  them 
reaches  that  grand  receptacle,  but  both  lose  themselves  in 
the  sand  on  the  way.  The  San  Gabriel  after  being  lost 
once  finds  itself  again,  and  makes  a  second  effort  to  reach 


SOUTHERN"    CALIFORNIA.  63 

the  ocean,  but  finally  succumbs  to  destiny  and  the  sand, 
and  goes  down  to  rise  no  more. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Los  Angeles  the  land  produces 
without  artificial  irrigation  for  a  considerable  distance  each 
side  of  the  river.  The  surface  is  only  seven  or  eight  feet 
above  the  water-bed,  and  the  soil  is  of  a  loose,  sandy 
nature;  so  the  trees  send  their  fibres  down  till  they  reach 
the  water-bed,  and  from  thence  draw  their  supplies  of 
moisture.  The  arrangements  for  irrigation  around  Los 
Angeles  are  quite  extensive  and  complete.  The  mountain 
streams  are  tapped,  and  the  water  taken  hither  and  thither 
to  give  drink  to  the  grape-vines  and  to  the  orange  trees. 
These  irrigating  ditches  form  not  an  ungraceful  part  of 
the  scene  as  it  appears  in  riding  about  from  orchard  to 
orchard  and  vineyard  to  vineyard.  The  water  is  clear 
and  limpid,  and  runs  along  with  alacrity  as  though  in 
haste  to  execute  its  benevolent  mission. 

It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  anything  more  beautiful  than 
the  orange  groves  in  this  region  in  February  and  March, 
when  the  trees  are  laden  with  their  yellow  fruit,  which 
shines  through  the  rich  glossy  leaves  of  the  trees  like 
golden  stars  in  a  dark  sky.  It  is  easy  to  transmute  these 
yellow  oranges  into  yellower  gold. 

Los  Angeles  is  at  present  the  center  of  the  orange- 
growing  business  in  California.  The  fruit  will  probably 
do  just  as  well  in  San  Bernardino,  but  the  experiment 
has  not  been  very  thoroughly  tried  as  yet.  It  does  not 
thrive  well  anywhere  on  the  coast,  the  winds  from  the  sea 
being  too  cold.  Even  in  Santa  Barbara  and  the  region 
around,  which  is  the  best  sheltered  of  any  place  on  the 
coast,  oranges  do  not  grow  well  except  in  protected  places, 


64  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

such  as  a  cafion  inclosed  by  mountains  or  in  some  way 
shut  in  and  sheltered  from  the  winds.  A  few  miles  from 
Santa  Barbara  Col.  Hollister  is  trying  the  experiment  in  a 
cailon  thus  situated. 

But  at  Los  Angeles  the  orange  finds  itself  at  home, 
with  but  little  to  interfere  with  its  constant  prosperity. 
The  trees  come  into  bearing  at  from  seven  to  ten  years  of 
age;  when  they  are  twelve  years  old,  and  thence  on,  they 
are  expected  to  average  twenty  dollars  per  tree  per  annum. 
The  price  of  oranges  in  San  Francisco  ranges  from  twenty 
to  thirty  dollars  per  thousand,  the  best  sometimes  being  as 
high  as  thirty-five  dollars  per  thousand.  It  is  rather  sur- 
prising to  people  coming  from  the  east  to  find  oranges  so 
near  the  place  where  they  are  produced  selling  at  so  much 
higher  prices  than  they  do  in  New  York  and  other  eastern 
cities.  Los  Angeles  oranges  are  seldom  retailed  at  less  than 
fifty  cents  per  dozen,  and  oftener  bring  seventy-five  cents. 
As  yet  there  seems  to  be  no  danger  of  the  supply  exceed- 
ing the  demand.  An  inferior  kind  of  orange,  brought  from 
the  islands,  retails  in  San  Francisco  at  twenty-five  cents 
per  dozen,  and  this  is  the  lowest  price  at  which  the  fruit 
is  ever  sold. 

It  is  easy  to  see  what  a  mine  of  wealth  an  orange 
orchard  is  at  such  rates.  Sixty  trees  to  the  acre,  and 
allowing  one  thousand  oranges  as  the  average  yield  per 
tree,  would  give  a  gross  result  of  twelve  hundred  dollars. 
But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  trees  in  well-kept  orchards  some- 
times average  fifteen  hundred  oranges  each.  But  let  us 
take  the  lower  estimate.  It  is  found  that  one  man  can 
take  care  of  twenty  acres.  Add  to  his  wages  the  expense 
of  picking,  boxing,  freight  and    commission,  all  of  which 


SOUTHERN"    CALIFORNIA.  65 

could  not  exceed  three  hundred  dollars,  and  there  would 
be  left  a  net  gain  of  nine  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  How 
much  surer  and  better  an  orange  orchard  is  than  a  gold 
mine!  For  the  former  is  absolutely  beyond  a  contingency. 
Although  young  trees  are  at  rare  intervals  injured  by 
frost,  when  they  have  gained  the  strength  and  power  of 
endurance  which  two  or  three  years  of  growth  give  them 
they  are  entirely  safe,  and  if  the  arrangements  for  irri- 
gation are  sufficient  there  is  absolutely  nothing  to  harm 
them  or  come  in  the  way  of  their  yielding  a  full  crop 
every  year. 

Mr.  Wolfskin,  one  of  the  oldest  American  settlers,  has 
a  grove  containing  two  thousand  trees,  which,  when  six- 
teen years  old,  averaged  fifteen  hundred  oranges  per  tree, 
and  has  continued  to  j-ield  about  the  same  each  year  since. 
Mr.  Wilson  has  a  grove  of  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty  trees, 
some  of  which  have  borne  as  many  as  four  thousand 
oranges,  and  the  average  has  been  the  same  as  in  Mr. 
Wolfskin's  orchard  —  fifteen  hundred  to  the  tree. 

As  a  compensation  for  the  orange  tree  being  so  late 
in  coming  into  bearing,  it  lives  long  and  continues  to  bear 
to  extreme  old  age.  A  tree  in  the  vicinity  of  the  San 
Gabriel  mission,  twelve  miles  from  Los  Angeles,  bore  six 
thousand  oranges  when  it  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
ninety  years  of  age. 

A  gentleman  in  Los  Angeles,  in  1873,  sold  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars'  worth  of  oranges  from  the  trees  on  half  an 
acre.  These  trees  probably  received  extra  care,  and  some 
coaxing,  in  order  to  bring  about  such  results.  Hitherto 
but  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  grafting.  All  the 
orange  orchards    of   which  mention  has    been   made  were 


66  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

grown  from  the  seed.  Tlie  market  has  as  yet  been  always 
good,  and  the  price  large  for  such  oranges  as  were  pro- 
duced in  that  way;  but  I  was  told  by  an  intelligent  prac- 
tical farmer,  who  has  gone  to  Los  Angeles  within  a  few 
years,  and  is  starting  there  a  large  orange  orchard,  that 
there  is  the  same  necessity  and  advantage  in  grafting 
oranges  that  there  is  in  the  case  of  apples  and  other  fruits. 
It  was  his  opinion  that  as  the  supply  increased,  the  de- 
mand would  be  more  dainty  and  a  better  quality  of  fruit 
required. 

In  order  to  show  how  the  time  required  for  oranges  and 
English  walnuts  to  come  into  bearing  may  be  tided  over, 
it  may  be  worth  while  to  state  the  plans  and  experiences 
of  the  gentleman  to  whom  reference  has  just  been  made. 
In  the  year  1868  Mr.  Wolfskill  and  his  partner  purchased 
three  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  Los  Angeles  valley, 
about  four  miles  from  the  town.  For  this  land  they  paid 
from  four  to  eight  dollars  per  acre  —  an  average  of  about 
six  dollars.  In  four  years  from  the  time  of  purchase,  so 
rapidly  had  land  appreciated  in  that  vicinity,  thirty  dol- 
lars per  acre  could  have  easily  been  obtained  for  the 
whole  tract.  A  large  orange  orchard  was  set  out,  and 
also  orchards  of  English  walnuts,  almonds,  and  a  locust 
grove  for  a  supply  of  timber.  The  land  lies  on  both  sides 
of  the  Los  Angeles  river,  and  requires  no  irrigation.  Ar- 
tesian wells  have  been  sunk  and  a  sufficient  supply  of 
water  for  watering  stock,  and  other  uses,  easily  obtained. 
But,  no  part  of  the  ranch  is  as  yet  productive.  Mean- 
while two  families  must  have  their  support,  and  in  one 
of  them  there  are  daughters  approaching  womanhood 
to  be  educated.      The  entire  capital  of  the  two  partners 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  67 

was  invested  in  the  land,  except  so  much  as  was  put  into 
a  "band"  of  sheep.  These  sheep  are  the  bread-winners 
while  the  orange  and  the  walnut  trees  are  getting  ready 
to  take  the  burden  upon  themselves. 

The  sheep  also  buy  the  young  orange  trees  and  the  wal- 
nuts needed  for  planting  the  orchards.  They  are  not  pas- 
tured on  the  ranch,  but  sent  away  under  the  care  of 
shepherds  to  El  Monte  and  elsewhere,  to  get  their  living 
off  land  that  nobody  owns  —  at  least,  nobody  save  that  im- 
personal sort  of  an  owner,  the  United  States  Government. 
During  the  last  two  or  three  years  there  has  been  no 
more  profitable  way  of  investing  money  in  California  than 
by  putting  it  into  sheep.  He  who  had  them  was  sure  of 
a  large  profit  on  his  capital  once,  if  not  twice,  in  the 
year. 

A  mile  or  two  beyond  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel  is 
Sunny  Slope,  the  estate  of  J.  L.  Rose,  president  of  the 
Southern  District  Agricultural  Society.  This  is  confessedly 
the  finest  place  in  the  region.  A  ride  through  avenues  of 
walnuts,  of  olives  and  of  oranges,  while  on  each  side  of 
the  drive  the  water  is  running  merrily  along  on  its  way 
to  do  its  duty  in  irrigating  the  orchards  and  vineyards, 
brings  the  visitor  to  the  house,  which  is  shaded  by  tall 
eucalyptus  trees,  and  wide-spreading,  beautiful  pepper  trees. 
Standing  on  the  front  verandah  one  looks  down  a  broad 
avenue,  overshadowed  on  each  side  by  magnificent  orange 
trees.  This  is  jmr  excellence  the  orange  avenue.  It  extends 
a  mile,  with  double  rows  of  trees  on  each  side.  Mr.  Rose 
has  in  all  between  six  and  seven  thousand  orange  trees, 
but  only  a  comparatively  small  part  of  them  have  come 
into  bearing.    He  has  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  vine- 


68  TWO    YEAES    IIS"    CALIFORNIA. 

yards,  wherein  grow  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand 
vines,  from  which  he  made  last  year  one  hundred  thousand 
gallons  of  white  wine  and  three  thousand  gallons  of  brandy. 
A  part  of  the  crop  that  he  sent  to  market  last  year  con- 
sisted of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  oranges,  fifty 
thousand  lemons,  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  of 
English  walnuts.  Besides  these  tropical  fruits  he  raises 
apples,  pears  and  peaches  in  considerable  quantities,  and 
in  addition  to  all  these,  pomegranates,  figs,  nectarines, 
apricots  and  olives. 

The  income  from  English  walnuts  is  estimated  at  from 
six  hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars  per  acre ;  from  olives, 
at  from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred  dollars;  the  vineyards 
produce  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  pounds  per  acre.  This 
crop  has  never  failed  since  vines  were  first  set  out  by  the 
fathers  nearly  a  century  ago.  But  Los  Angeles  is  too  far 
from  a  market  for  grape-raising  to  be  profitable,  except  for 
making  wine.  Those  who  do  not  make  wine  themselves 
sell  their  grapes  at  the  vineyards  to  those  who  do.  The 
fruit  sells  in  such  cases  at  from  one  dollar  to  one  dollar 
and  twenty-five  cents  per  hundred  pounds.  Mr.  Rose 
irrigates  his  orchards  every  six  weeks,  and  plows  and  hoes 
after  each  irrigation.  This  constant  working  is  one  of  the 
reasons  of  the  abundant  bearing.  As  water  is  a  fertilizer, 
the  ground  is  kept  rich  as  well  as  mellow.  Weeds  have 
no  chance  to  grow,  to  absorb  the  strength  of  the  soil; 
indeed,  they  do  not  seem  to  prosper  in  California;  it  is 
one  of  the  peculiarities  observable  ever^'where.  In  the 
northern  part  of  the  State,  a  spot  of  ground  left  unculti- 
vated for  a  season   is   covered  with  an  abundant  crop  of 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORITIA.  69 

vnld   oats.      In   the    south    the    alfilerilla   improves   every 
chance  to  get  a  foot-hold. 

To  show  what  the  possibilities  of  southern  California  are 
to  the  enterprising,  industrious  immigrant,  it  may  be  well 
to  give,  in  brief,  the  history  of  Anaheim,  a  German  settle- 
ment established  in  1857.  This  village  is  twenty-four  miles 
east  of  Wilmington,  eight  miles  from  the  sea,  and  three  from 
the  Santa  Ana  river.  Fifty  men  in  San  Francisco,  of  dif- 
ferent occupations  and  persuasions,  but  all  Germans,  agreed 
together  to  buy  eleven  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  land 
in  Los  Angeles  county,  southwest  of  the  town  of  the  same 
name.  The  site  of  the  village  was,  at  the  time  of  purchase, 
a  dry.  sandy,  barren  plain,  no  better  than  thousands  of  acres 
lying  around  it.  The  leader  of  the  enterprise  was  a  Mr. 
Hansen,  of  Los  Angeles,  a  German  of  culture  and  ability, 
who  had  lived  many  years  in  California  and  knew  well  the 
nature  of  the  enterprise  in  which  he  embarked.  The  land 
was  bought  for  two  dollars  per  acre,  and  divided  into  fifty 
lots,  with  streets  between  them.  Each  lot  contained  twenty 
acres.  A  town  was  laid  out  in  the  center  with  sixty 
building  lots — one  for  each  shareholder  and  ten  for  public 
purijoses.  The  lots  were  all  fenced  by  planting  willows, 
sycamores  and  poplars,  and  one  half  of  each  lot  was  set 
out  in  grape-vines.  With  the  first  payment  of  stock  the 
land  was  paid  for.  For  three  years  Mr.  Hansen  superin- 
tended the  improvements,  while  the  stockholders  continued 
in  the  pursuit  of  their  various  avocations  in  San  Francisco. 
Indians  and  Mexicans  were  hired  to  do  the  work,  and  with 
their  help  the  vines  were  set  out,  and  an  irrigating  canal 
seven  miles  long  was  excavated,  together  with  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  of  subsidiary  ditches,  and  twenty-five 


70  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

miles  of  feeders  for  them.      These  arrangements  secured 
the  thorough  irrigation  of  the  whole  tract. 

Fruit  trees  of  different  kinds  were  also  set  out.  In 
1860  the  assessments  were  all  paid  in.  Each  stockholder 
had  paid  the  amount  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  The  lots 
were  then  assessed,  the  value  being  fixed  by  the  location 
or  other  incident  that  affected  their  worth,  and  were 
drawn  by  the  stockholders.  Whoever  drew  a  lot  that 
was  estimated  at  more  than  twelve  hundred  dollars  paid 
the  amount  of  the  overplus  to  him  who  had  drawn  one 
worth  less  than  that  amount.  The  owners  then  took 
possession,  and  went  to  work.  In  1870  there  were  one 
million  grape-vines  growing  in  the  settlement,  most  of 
which  were  in  bearing.  They  produced  annually  four 
hundred  thousand  gallons  of  wine  and  ten  thousand  gal- 
lons of  brandy.  There  were  ten  thousand  fruit  trees  of 
different  kinds  growing.  Every  one  of  the  fifty  lots  con- 
tained a  comfortable  homestead,  and  the  village  had  a 
population  of  about  four  hundred,  and  contained  a  good 
public  school,  a  post-office  and  a  church.  Each  of  the 
lots  was  valued  at  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  could  not  be 
purchased  at  any  price. 

The  distance  by  the  stage  route  from  Los  Angeles  to 
San  Buenaventura  is  seventy  miles;  yet  between  the  two 
places  there  is  no  village  and  not  even  a  post-ofl&ce.  The 
latter  place  is  the  principal  town  in  Ventura  county, 
which  is  a  new  county,  set  off  from  Santa  Barbara  in 
1873.  Those  who  named  the  county  did  wisely  in  abbre- 
viating the  unwieldy  cognomen  with  which  the  town  is 
incumbered.  This  latter,  to  which  the  fathers  gave  so 
extensive  a  title,  was  the  seat  of  one   of  their   missions. 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  71 

The  church  and  some  of  the  other  buildings  still  remain, 
and  are  in  a  sufficiently  good  state  of  repair  to  be  used. 
There  are  three  large  and  very  old  palm  trees  growing 
near  the  church,  the  largest  I  saw  in  California.  They 
are  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  and  six  or  eight 
feet  in  circumference.  These  and  an  olive  orchard  remain 
to  give  their  testimony  in  regard  to  the  thrift  and  the 
taste  of  those  old  Spanish  padres.  The  palm  trees  look 
very  grand,  growing  up,  as  they  do,  straight  and 
limbless  to  the  top,  which  is  crowned  with  a  large  tuft 
of  palmetto  leaves.  The  priests  contrive  to  have  boys 
go  up  these  trees  and  gather  leaves  for  sacramental  pur- 
poses on  Palm  Sunday,  thereby  saving  themselves  from 
the  cheat  that  is  practiced  in  our  more  northern  climates. 
San  Buenaventura  contains  about  one  thousand  inhab- 
itants, and  is  steadily  growing.  Situated  as  it  is  at  the 
natural  outlet  of  the  wonderfully  rich  valleys  of  the  Santa 
Clara  and  the  Ojai,  it  cannot  fail,  at  no  distant  day,  to  be  a 
place  of  considerable  importance.  The  valley  of  the  Santa 
Clara  river  contains  the  richest  and  best  agricultural  land 
in  the  county.  Here,  as  almost  everywhere  in  southern 
California,  the  only  want  is  water,  and  this  want  has  been 
in  part  supplied  by  arrangements  for  artificial  irrigation. 
The  soil  of  the  valley  is  a  rich,  sandy  loam,  and  is  said 
to  require  less  moisture  to  perfect  vegetation  than  many 
other  varieties.  Wheat  and  barley  have  been  successfully 
cultivated,  and  the  experiment,  on  a  small  scale,  of  rais- 
ing sea-island  cotton  tried  with  success.  The  sugar-beet 
grows  to  a  size  that  is  quite  enormous,  some  having 
reached  the  gigantic  proportions  of  thirty  or  forty  inches 
in  circumference. 


72  TWO   YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

A  gentleman,  whose  official  duty  rendered  it  necessary 
for  him  to  make  a  careful  examination  of  this  lower  Santa 
Clara  valley,  says:  "My  impression  is,  that  this  valley 
.offers  greater  inducements  to  settlers  from  the  east  than 
any  other  in  California.  Lands  are  cheaper,  society  is 
growing  up,  schools  are  being  established,  the  climate  is 
excellent  and  well  adapted  to  almost  every  variety  of  pro- 
duction. The  valley  is  inclosed  by  ranges  of  mountains 
on  both  its  north  and  south  sides,  which  protect  it  from 
the  cold  storms  and  high  winds,  but  being  open  to  the 
ocean  toward  the  west  it  has  the  advantage  of  the  sea- 
breezes  more  than  almost  any  other  in  California." 

A  ride  up  this  beautiful  Santa  Clara  valley,  early  in  the 
month  of  March,  was  full  of  interest  to  the  writer,  and 
may  in  part  account  for  the  readiness  with  which  com- 
petent testimony  in  regard  to  its  desirableness  is  accepted. 
"Seeing  is  believing,"  and  when  one  knows  in  part,  evi- 
dence in  regard  to  the  rest  which  falls  in  with  the  knowl- 
edge possessed  is  easily  credited. 

A  good  team,  a  comfortable  carriage,  and  pleasant  com- 
pany, are  elements  that  make  up  about  as  desirable  a 
whole  as  the  imperfect  conditions  of  this  world  can  fur- 
nish. But  when  to  these  are  added  the  brightest  of  bright 
sunshine,  the  purest  and  most  exhilarating  of  atmospheres, 
and  a  temperature  at  the  exact  point  of  comfort,  with 
mountains  and  valleys  and  cultivated  fields  and  orchards 
in  blossom  to  give  beauty  and  variety  to  the  scenery,  it 
would  be  a  very  churlish  soul  indeed  that  could  not  find 
delight  and  satisfaction  in  such  a  combination.  But  it 
was  not  a  churlish  soul  whose  experiences  on  that  day 
are  to  be  narrated,  but  one   determined  to  extract  sweet 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  73 

out  of  everything  that  had  in  it  one  particle  of  sweet- 
ness. What  wonder  then  that  the  happiness  of  that  day 
had  a  very  unusual  completeness! 

In  going  up  the  valley  we  passed  through  the  oil 
regions  that  help  to  make  this  locality  famous.  Instead 
of  occurring  in  depressions  and  valleys,  as  in  the  eastern 
States,  where  it  requires  pumps  to  bring  it  to  the  sur- 
face, the  oil  here  oozes  out  from  the  cracks  and  crevices 
in  the  mountains,  wherever  there  is  a  tilt  in  the  dip  or 
a  fracture  or  an  angle.  I  do  not  speak  after  scientific 
methods,  but  as  things  looked  to  common,  every-day  eyes. 
Wherever  the  oil  finds  a  crack  out  of  which  it  can  creep 
it  improves  the  opportunity.  After  going  up  the  Santa 
Clara  valley  some  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles,  we  crossed 
over  the  mountains  which  divide  it  from  the  San  Buena- 
ventura valley,  through  the  Santa  Paula  pass;  and  on  our 
return  passed  through  the  Ojai  valley,  and  back  to  the 
town  by  the  side  of  the  San  Buenaventura  river. 

One  of  the  curious  sights  that  we  witnessed  during  the 
ride  was  a  stream  of  oil  which  ran  out  of  a  crevice  in 
the  mountain  and  fell  into  a  creek  which  was  on  its  way 
to  the  San  Buenaventura  river.  The  rivulet,  where  we 
observed  it,  was  twenty  or  thirty  feet  wide,  and  in  its 
center  there  was  a  stripe  of  oil  six  or  eight  feet  wide, 
which,  grimy  black  and  unctious,  kept  on  its  winding 
course,  carried  by  the  current  hither  and  thither,  as  the 
stream  turned  and  twisted  and  curved  in  its  onward  pas- 
sage. It  looked  like  an  immense  serpent,  with  a  capacity 
for  swallowing  any  impediment  that  came  in  its  way.  It 
was  an  uncanny  sight  to  the  eye  of  taste,  and  an  uncom- 
fortable   one   to   the    eye   that    looked   at    things   with   a 


74  TWO   YEARS   IN    CALIFORSTIA. 

regard  to  their  pecuniary  value;  for  what  a  waste  it 
was  to  have  this  oil  running  away  and  losing  itself  when 
it  ought  to  be  creating  values  by  being  headed  up  in 
barrels  and  afterwards  refined! 

The  maestro  of  our  company  was  at  that  time  the  prin- 
cipal operator  in  oils  in  that  region.  The  business,  just 
then,  was  in  rather  a  depressed  condition.  It  had  been 
found  that,  easily  as  the  oil  was  obtained,  it  could  not  be 
refined  and  put  into  the  market  at  a  price  to  compete  with 
eastern  oils.  But  very  shortly  after  the  date  of  our  ride 
there  was  quite  a  revival  in  the  trade  occasioned  by  the 
successful  results  of  experiments  in  San  Francisco,  whereby 
it  was  found  that  gas  could  be  made  from  the  crude  oil 
at  much  lower  rates  than  it  could  be  from  coal.  It  there- 
fore happened  that  the  snaky  stream  of  oil  was  soon 
arrested,  barreled  and  sent  to  San  Francisco,  to  be  turned 
into  bright  and  shining  lights. 

The  pleasant  town  of  Santa  Barbara  is  thirty  miles 
northwest  from  San  Buenaventura.  The  road  connecting 
the  two  places  is  singularly  romantic  and  delightful.  For 
nearly  half  the  way  it  lies  directly  on  the  beach,  and  the 
horses  trot  along  with  the  ocean  surges  bathing  their  feet. 
When  the  tide  is  in,  or  coming  in,  persons  traveling 
with  animals  not  used  to  the  wash  and  roar  of  the  waters 
are  sometimes  obliged  to  stop  by  the  way  and  wait  for 
hours  till  the  tide  goes  out.  The  ride  between  these  two 
places  is  memorable  to  the  writer,  not  only  for  its  pic- 
turesqueness  and  the  beautiful  ocean  views,  but  also  as 
affording  the  first  opportunity  of  seeing  a  whale.  What 
a  monster  it  was!  An  immensa  molis  as  truly  as  the 
famous  wooden  horse  of  the  Greeks.     Wounded  by  a  har- 


BRIDAL  VEIL  FALL.     Page  219. 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  75 

poon,  but  escaping  its  pursuers,  it  had  died  in  the  ocean 
and  been  stranded  here,  thrown  on  the  beach  by  the  waves 
that  had  not  power  to  take  it  away  again.  There  lay 
the  huge  carcass,  with  the  oil,  set  free  by  the  hot  sun, 
oozing  out  in  every  direction.  It  was  eighty  feet  long  — 
twice  the  length  of  a  good-sized  house  —  and  so  high,  as 
it  lay  prone  on  the  sand,  that  standing  near  the  side  I 
could  not  see  over  it.  Like  the  curious  Trojans  examining 
the  votive  offering  of  the  Greeks,  I  walked  round  and 
round  it.  It  seemed  impossible  that  one  single  life  could 
have  animated  so  immense  a  mass  of  matter.  Figures  or 
statements  of  measurement  give  no  adequate  idea  of  its 
immensity.  I  could  readily  believe  that  not  one  man  only, 
but  a  whole  family,  might  easily  find  accommodations  in 
its  interior  apartments,  provided  they  would  take  the  risk 
of  furnishing  their  own  means  of  respiration. 

The  end  of  this  pleasant  drive  was  Santa  Barbara. 
It  is  only  within  a  few  years  that  this  town  and  the  region 
around  have  excited  the  attention  which  they  well  deserve. 
While  mining  interests  were  dominant  the  attention  of 
emigrants  was  centered  in  those  parts  of  the  State  where 
such  interests  were  best  advanced.  But  in  the  time  back 
of  American  occupation  it  was  not  so.  The  Aborigines 
showed  their  appreciation  of  natural  advantages,  and  their 
adhesion  to  those  conditions  which  guaranteed  a  healthful, 
joyous  life,  by  congregating  in  this  pleasant  region. 
When  Cabrillo  examined  the  country  along  the  coast,  only 
fifty  years  after  Columbus  discovered  America,  he  found 
no  part  of  it  so  thickly  populated  as  this.  He  spent  six 
months  in  what  is  now  Santa  Barbara  county,  and  has 
left   upon  record    the   names  of  forty  towns  and  villages 


76  TWO    YEAES   IN    CALIFOENIA. 

that  then  existed  within  its  limits.  Thus  more  than  three 
hundred  years  ago  a  large  population  enjoyed  the  sun- 
shine and  the  pleasant  climate  of  this  delightful  country. 

As  Santa  Barbara  is  attracting  much  attention  at  the 
present  time  as  a  health  resort,  and  as  many  are  desir- 
ous of  ascertaining  what  its  special  claims  are  in  this 
behalf,  a  fuller  statement  of  facts  than  usual  will  be  given 
of  this  particular  section  of  the  State.  What  has  come 
to  the  writer's  knowledge,  both  experimentally  and  through 
competent  testimony,  will  be  mentioned,  after  which  a  cat- 
alogue will  be  given  of  the  resources,  in  the  way  of  soil 
and  productions,  which  make  the  place  inviting  to  those 
who,  already  blessed  with  health,  seek  here  a  competency 
and  a  home.  When  an  artificer  is  the  possessor  of  knowl- 
edge and  skill,  the  result  of  his  ejffort  will  be  in  propor- 
tion to  the  resources  at  his  command.  Here  were  all 
material  and  all  power  in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Creator. 
Behold  how  skillfully  the  arrangements  were  made  and  the 
combinations  effected  in  order  to  bring  about  the  desired 
result,  and  fit  up  a  great  sanitarium,  from  which  a  voice 
should  go  out  to  the  sick  and  weary  everywhere,  saying, 
"Come  ye  disconsolate,  where'er  ye  languish,"  come,  bask 
in  this  sunshine  and  breathe  this  refreshing  air,  which  will 
warm  without  heating,  and  cool  without  chilling  you! 

But  as  to  the  means  by  vfhich  this  desideratum  is  brought 
about.  First,  from  Point  Concepcion  to  San  Buenaventura, 
a  distance  of  seventy  miles  or  so,  there  is  a  trend  of  the 
coast  toward  the  east.  This  direction  of  the  shore  gives  it 
a  southern  exposure,  and  spreads  out  its  lap  to  receive 
the  sunshine.  This  is  the  only  coast-line  that  faces  south 
between  Alaska  and  Guatemala.     The  town  of  Santa  Bar- 


SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  77 

bara  occupies  nearly  a  central  position  in  this  line.  Next, 
the  Santa  Inez  mountains,  a  branch  of  the  Coast  Range, 
stretch  across  nearly  or  quite  the  whole  seventy  miles,  par- 
allel with  the  coast,  and  inclose  a  valley  between  them 
and  the  ocean  which  has  an  average  width  of  about  three 
miles.  These  mountains  lift  up  their  heads  three  thou- 
sand feet  toward  the  heavens,  and  form  an  effectual  bar- 
rier to  all  the  harsh  and  inhospitable  winds  that  would  find 
access  from  the  north.  Then,  as  if  to  make  assurance 
doubly  sure,  a  group  of  islands  are  dropped  in  the  sea, 
having  their  length  parallel  with  the  coast,  and  lying 
twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  out  in  the  ocean.  These  islands 
hold  up  a  barrier  of  high  hills,  which  says  effectually 
to  any  stray  winds  that  come  down  from  the  Arctic  and 
are  seeking  a  place  of  entrance.  Hitherto  ye  have  come, 
but  ye  can  go  no  further!  Thus  these  faithful  guards 
keep  watch  and  ward  over  the  beloved  land,  and  main- 
tain it  in  a  state  of  almost  perpetual  tranquillity. 

As  a  worthy  adjunct,  the  beach  spreads  out  a  level  and 
attractive  carriage-way,  where  those  who  ride  may  sniff 
the  wholesome  air  of  old  ocean  and  watch  its  restless  toss- 
ings  and  ever-varying  beauties.  The  arrangements  for 
sea-bathing  are  complete,  so  far  as  natural  facilities  can 
make  them.  Spurs  of  the  Santa  Inez  mountains  come 
down  on  each  side,  and  lock  in  a  little  cove  by  reaching  out 
their  protecting  arms,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  apart.  How 
could  there  be  a  nicer  and  safer  bathing-place?  For  those, 
however,  who  prefer  more  limited  accommodations  or 
warmer  water,  a  Bethesda  is  hidden  away  in  a  canon 
four  miles  from  the  town,  in  which  sufferers  may  wash 
and   be  made   better,  if  not  entirely  whole.      The  waters 


78  TWO    YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

of  this  hot  sulphur  spring  are  said  to  have  power  to  drive 
rheumatism  from  the  joints,  and  expel  other  demons  which 
may  have  gained  power  over  the  flesh  to  torture  and  to 
destroy. 

These  peculiarities  of  situation  and  environment  secure 
to  Santa  Barbara  all  the  conditions  required  by  those 
who,  on  account  of  weak  or  diseased  lungs,  need  an 
equable,  bracing  climate,  for  it  is  warm  without  being 
hot,  and  cool  without  being  chilly.  There  is  scarcely  ever 
a  day  when  the  most  delicate  invalid  cannot  be  out-of-doors 
some  part  of  the  time.  Even  in  the  rainy  season,  which 
lasts  from  November  till  March,  some  portion  of  almost 
every  day  can  be  safely  and  pleasantly  spent  in  the  open 
air.  That  there  cannot  be  many  days  of  continuous  rain 
is  clearly  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  entire  rain-fall 
averages  but  twelve  inches  per  annum.  But  a  case  is 
made  stronger  by  cumulative  evidence.  Dr.  Brinkerhoif 
went  to  Santa  Barbara  on  account  of  poor  health  eighteen 
years  ago,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  leading  phy- 
sician in  the  place.  He  says:  "The  heat  of  summer  is 
tempered  by  gentle  breezes  from  the  sea,  the  average  sum- 
mer temperature  being  less  than  70°.  The  average  winter 
temperature  is  58°.  The  changes  of  the  season  are 
scarcely  perceptible  in  temperature.  Frosts  are  of  rare 
occurrence,  and  disagreeable  fogs  seldom  prevail.  There 
are  comparatively  few  days  in  the  entire  year  when  one 
cannot  sit  out-of-doors  without  discomfort.  The  nights 
are  always  cool  and  sleep-inviting.  The  softness  and 
general  uniformity  of  the  climate,  its  freedom  from  damp- 
ness and  sudden  changes,  the  opportunity  for  diversion 
and  recreation,  render  Santa  Barbara  preeminently  a  de- 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORKIA.  79 

sirable  place  for  persons  suffering  from  bronchial  and  pul- 
monary affections.  Although  many  persons  suffering  from 
these  complaints  have  come  here  too  late  to  receive  any 
permanent  relief  from  the  restorative  effects  of  climate, 
yet  the  greater  portion  of  cases  which  have  come  under  my 
observation  have  been  permanently  relieved,  and  many  in 
a  surprisingly  short  space  of  time  have  been  perfectly  re- 
stored to  health.  Some  ten  miles  from  Santa  Barbara,  in  a 
westerly  direction,  in  the  bed  of  the  ocean,  about  one  and 
a  half  miles  from  the  shore,  is  an  immense  spring  of  petro- 
leum, the  product  of  which  continually  rises  to  the  surface 
of  the  water  and  floats  upon  it  over  an  area  of  many 
miles.  This  mineral  oil  may  be  seen  any  day  from  the 
deck  of  the  oteamers  plying  between  here  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, or  from  the  high  banks  along  the  shore,  its  many 
changing  hues  dancing  upon  the  shifting  waves  of  the 
sea,  and  affording  various  suggestions  both  for  the  spec- 
ulative and  the  speculator.  Having  read  statements  that 
during  the  last  few  years  the  authorities  of  Damascus 
and  other  plague-ridden  cities  of  the  east  have  resorted 
to  the  practice  of  introducing  crude  petroleum  into  the 
gutters  of  the  streets  to  disinfect  the  air,  and  as  a  pre- 
ventive of  disease,  which  practice  has  been  attended  with 
the  most  favorable  results,  I  throw  out  the  suggestion,  but 
without  advancing  any  theory  of  my  own,  whether  the 
prevailing  westerly  sea-breezes,  passing  over  this  wide 
expanse  of  sea-laden  petroleum,  may  not  take  up  from  it, 
and  bear  along  with  them  to  the  places  whither  they  go, 
some  subtile  power  which  serves  as  a  disinfecting  agent, 
and  which   may  account   for  the   infrequency  of  some  of 


80  TWO   TEARS    IlSr    CALIFORNIA. 

the    diseases    referred    to,    and    possibly  for    tlie    superior 
healthfulness  of  the  climate  of  Santa  Barbara." 

About  four  miles  from  Santa  Barbara,  pleasantly  located 
in  one  of  the  caiions  of  the  mountains,  are  the  hot  sul- 
phur springs  which  have  become  so  favorably  known. 
If  it  is  true  of  places,  as  well  as  of  persons,  that  near- 
ness and  familiarity  are  the  true  test  of  greatness  and 
worth,  then  Santa  Barbara  must  have  the  ring  of  the 
genuine  metal  about  it!  Its  number  of  admirers  seems 
to  be  equal  to  the  number  of  its  entire  population,  and  can 
only  be  estimated  by  taking  the  census! 

A  preacher,  who  has  for  some  time  been  a  resident  of 
the  place,  ftn  one  Thanksgiving  day  delivered  a  sermon 
appropriate  to  the  occasion  to  his  assembled  people.  He 
did  not  wander  oif  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  for  causes  for 
thankfulness,  but  showed  his  hearers  what  reason  for  cease- 
less gratitude  they  had  in  being  allowed  to  dwell  in  so 
Paradisaical  a  place  as  Santa  Barbara  —  a  place  of  unpar- 
alleled richness  of  soil,  of  unequaled  salubrity  of  climate 
—  a  place  for  which  earth,  air  and  sea  did  their  best. 
That  little  spot  alone  of  all  the  earth  seemed  to  have  es- 
caped when  the  earth  was  cursed  for  the  sin  of  man!// 
After  dwelling  for  some  considerable  time  upon  the  fea- 
tures of  this  perfectness,  the  thought  seemed  to  occur  to 
the  speaker  that  after  all  the  taint  of  transitoriness  which 
pertains  to  everything  earthly  rested  also  upon  Santa  Bar- 
bara and  those  who  inhabit  it.  As,  therefore,  people  could 
not  live  there  always,  some  inducement  must  be  presented 
to  make  them  willing  to  leave  when  the  inevitable  sum- 
mons came  for  them  to  go  to  heaven!  Therefore  he 
endeavored  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation  between  their 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  81 

necessity  and  their  desire,  by  a  description  of  the  pleasures 
and  delights  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  remarking  that  inas- 
much as  it  was  a  foregone  conclusion  that  they  would 
sooner  or  later  be  forced  to  take  their  departure  from  the 
land  of  delights  in  which  they  were  now  permitted  to  live, 
it  would  be  well  for  them  to  acquaint  themselves  with 
the  conditions  upon  which  entrance  to  it  could  be  obtained, 
assuring  them  that  the  glories  and  wonders  of  the  place 
made  it  worthy  of  being  earnestly  sought  after.  The  con- 
clusion of  the  whole  matter,  as  summed  up  by  one  who 
heard  the  sermon,  was  that  heaven  was  a  very  comforta- 
ble place  to  live  in,  and  very  desirable  to  —  those  who 
couldn't  stay  in  Santa  Barbara! 

To  the  writer,  personally,  a  sojourn  there  gave  new 
ideas  of  the  possibilities  of  life.  The  atmosphere  was  so 
pure  and  exhilarating,  the  sky  so  blue  and  serene,  the 
sunshine  so  bright  and  cheering,  that  mere  existence 
seemed  a  blessing  rich  beyond  compare.  Visions  of  beauty 
and  blessedness  float  before  my  eyes  and  fill  my  heart 
with  yearnings  as  I  recall  the  experiences  of  those  de- 
lightful days.  Whether  I  looked  above,  beneath  or  around 
me,  there  was  something  to  charm,  something  to  comfort 
and  delight.  The  usual  taint  that  affects  all  earthly  things 
seemed  to  be  wanting,  at  least  it  did  not  make  itself  visible 
to  the  eye.  Sky,  earth  and  air,  all  seemed  to  be  absolutely 
without  a  flaw. 

Santa  Barbara  is  the  preferred  home  of  the  beautiful 
pepper  tree.  Those  who  have  only  seen  it  further  north 
have  no  adequate  idea  of  its  possible  loveliness  and  ele- 
gance. The  tree  produces  the  white  pepper  of  commerce, 
but  so  far  as  I  know,  it  is  not  utilized  in  this  region,  and 


82  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORKIA. 

it  ought  not  to  be.  Nothing  more  ought  to  be  asked  of  it, 
than  that  it  should  beautify  and  adorn,  as  it  does,  every 
place  where  it  grows.  With  the  graceful  sweep  of  the 
weeping  willow  it  unites  a  refined  and  aristocratic  look 
which  the  willow  does  not  possess.  Then  it  is  an  ever- 
green, and  retains  its  handsome  foliage  to  charm  the  eye 
all  the  year  round.  The  fruit  hangs  in  large,  loose  pan- 
icles all  over  the  tree  during  the  winter,  and  by  its  pretty 
red  color   gives  additional    grace  and   glory  to  the  effect. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  acacia  that  flourish  in 
California;  and  the  eucalyptus,  or  Australian  gum,  is  a 
great  favorite  and  much  cultivated.  These  are  all  ever- 
greens, and  some  of  them  beautiful;  but  among  them  all 
there  is  nothing  equal  to  the  graceful,  refined-looking  and 
beautiful  pepper  tree. 

The  olive,  too,  seems  to  be  in  as  good  as  its  native 
element  in  this  region.  The  leaf  of  the  tree  is  long  and 
narrow,  and  not  unlike  that  of  the  willow.  It  is  bluish 
green  above,  and  on  the  under  side  of  a  lighter  color,  with 
a  silvery  tinge  which  produces  a  very  pretty  effect  when 
the  branches  are  tossed  by  the  wind. 

The  fruit  of  the  tree  has  been  utilized  from  an  early 
day,  and  its  cultivation  is  among  the  things  that  pay.  It 
may  not  be  without  interest  to  go  somewhat  into  detail  in 
regard  to  this  industiy.  In  the  Santa  Barbara  region  the 
olive  is  propagated  by  cuttings.  These  are  made  from  ten 
to  fifteen  inches  long,  and  the  thicker  the  better.  The 
slips  are  put  into  the  ground  perpendicularly  about  six  or 
eight  inches  apart.  Everything  seems  to  be  delighted  to 
grow  in  the  beautiful  country  around  Santa  Barbara,  and 
the  olive  is  not  an  exception.     These  cuttings  soon  send  out 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  83 

roots  and  branches.  After  awhile  they  are  taken  up  care- 
fully and  set  out  in  orchards,  being  placed  in  rows  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  feet  apart  each  way.  The  trees  grow  slowly 
at  first,  but  begin  to  bear  in  four  or  five  years.  They  do 
not,  however,  produce  a  full  crop  until  they  are  ten  or 
twelve  years  old.  But  as  a  compensation  for  their  slow 
growth  and  tardy  maturity,  they  live  and  produce  fruit  to 
a  venerable  age.  A  tree,  that  had  lived  through  its  three- 
score and  ten  years,  last  year  bore  one  hundred  gallons  of 
olives.  The  average  yield  that  is  expected  of  an  orchard 
is  about  twenty-five  gallons  per  tree. 

For  pickling,  the  olive  is  gathered  before  it  is  ripe, 
though  the  nearer  it  is  to  maturity,  and  a  consequent 
change  of  color,  the  better  and  richer  the  pickle.  It  is 
from  the  color  of  the  fruit  in  this  unripe  state  that  the 
shade  "olive  green"  takes  the  name.  When  ripe,  the  fruit 
is  of  a  purplish,  maroon  color,  and  in  both  size  and  color 
has  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  damson  plum.  For 
making  pickles,  the  immature  olive  is  gathered  and  put  into 
vessels  filled  with  cold  water,  which  must  be  changed  for 
four  or  five  successive  days;  or  better  yet,  they  are  some- 
times placed  in  casks  through  which  the  water  is  allowed 
to  percolate.  The  object  of  this  process  is  to  extract  from 
the  olive  a  bitter  quality  that  is  always  present.  When 
this  process  is  completed  the  olives  are  put  into  a  strong 
brine,  and  in  a  few  days  are  ready  for  use.  Persons  who 
do  not  like  imported  olives  often  become  fond  of  those  put 
up  in  Santa  Barbara,  on  account  of  their  superior  richness 
and  excellence,  which  is  in  part  owing  to  their  being 
allowed  to  become  more  nearly  ripe  before  they  are  gath- 


84  TWO   YEARS  IN-   CALIFORNIA. 

ered.     When  the  berry  is  to  be  used  for  making  oil  it  is 
allowed  to  ripen  on  the  tree. 

When  gathered,  cloths  are  spread  under  the  tree  and 
the  fruit  is  shaken  off,  and  that  which  does  not  fall  readily 
is  beaten  off  with  rods  or  poles,  which  would  seem  to  have 
been  the  way  in  which  olives  were  gathered  in  Palestine, 
as  can  be  inferred  from  the  command,  "  When  thou  beatest 
thy  olive  tree,  thou  shalt  not  go  over  the  boughs  again;  it 
shall  be  for  the  stranger,  for  the  fatherless  and  for  the 
widow." 

After  the  fruit  is  gathered  it  is  placed  in  a  drying-room 
or  on  shelves,  where  it  is  allowed  to  remain  several  days,  in 
order  that  the  watery  juices  contained  in  it  may  evaporate. 
The  machinery  now  in  use  for  manufacturing  the  oil  is  of 
the  rudest  and  most  primitive  character,  and  will  probably 
before  long,  when  the  rule  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  fully 
established  in  this  region,  give  place  to  something  better. 
A  circular  stone  bed  is  built,  and  upon  this  a  stone  is 
placed  to  which  a  sweep  is  attached.  A  horse  is  fastened 
to  the  sweep,  and  the  berries  being  spread  upon  the  bed, 
they  are  crushed  by  the  turning  of  the  stone  upon  it. 
Even  this  would  seem  to  be  an  improvement  upon  the 
Jewish  method,  which  seems  to  have  been  to  tread  out  the 
oil  with  the  feet.  Thus  the  dying  Jacob  said  of  Ashur, 
"  Let  him  dip  his  foot  in  oil." 

The  stones  or  pits  of  the  olive  are  not  broken  in  the 
first  process  of  crushing.  After  the  fruit  is  fairly  crushed 
the  pulp  is  gathered  up  and  put  into  coarse  sacks  or  gunny- 
bags,  and  submitted  to  pressure  in  a  home-made,  rough 
sort  of  a  screw.  As  the  oil  is  extracted  it  is  put  into 
vessels   and   allowed   to   settle,   after  which,   without  any 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  85 

further  process,  it  is  ready  for  use.  The  result  of  the  first 
operation  makes  what  is  known  in  commerce  as  "  virgin 
olive  oil."  Its  sweetness  and  purity  are  perennial.  Time 
does  not  harm  it,  and  no  change  renders  it  impure.  At 
the  old  Catholic  mission  in  Santa  Barbara  there  is  oil  that 
has  been  kept  for  yeai-s  without  losing  any  of  its  original 
virtue.  We  have  been  in  the  habit  of  getting  very  little 
of  this  "virgin  oil"  from  abroad.  The  best  is  kept  at 
home  for  the  rich  and  great  to  use,  that  they  may  have 
unction  given  to  their  salads,  and  sweetness  to  any  of  the 
viands  into  which  oil  enters  as  a  component  part. 

A  second  pressure  succeeds  the  first,  in  which  many  of 
the  pits  are  cracked  and  the  pulp  more  finely  comminuted. 
The  result  of  this  is  an  inferior  article  of  oil,  such  as  is 
generally  brought  to  us  for  table  use. 

After  this  there  is  still  another  effort  made  to  compel  the 
olive  to  give  up  its  oil.  The  pulp  is  brought  to  a  boiling 
heat  in  large  copper  kettles,  and  then  submitted  once  more 
to  pressure.  An  inferior  kind  of  oil  is  thus  obtained, 
which  is  principally  used  for  lubincating  purposes. 

In  the  good  time  coming,  when  the  twenty  thousand 
olive  trees  already  set  out  in  southern  California,  and  the 
ten  times  as  many  more  that  will  be  set  out,  shall  come 
into  bearing,  and  when  new  and  better  machinery,  the 
result  of  Yankee  ingenuity,  has  been  introduced,  we  shall 
get  our  olive  oil  from  our  own  dominions,  and  it  will  be 
the  pure  "  virgin  oil,"  that  will  neither  grow  murky  nor 
rancid,  and  our  salads  will  be  no  more  spoiled  by  oil  that 
is  common  or  unclean! 

The  profitableness  of  the  olive  as  a  factor  for  money- 
making    will  be   evident   by  the   statement   that  sixty  or 


86  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

seventy  trees  may  be  set  out  to  the  acre,  and  that  from 
these  there  should  be  obtained  about  one  thousand  four 
hundred  gallons  of  berries.  Olives  are  worth,  sold  in  the 
orchard,  sixty  cents  per  gallon,  or  when  pickled,  seventy- 
five  cents  per  gallon.  Twenty  gallons  of  berries  yield 
about  three  gallons  of  oil,  which  is  worth  from  four  to 
five  dollars  per  gallon  wholesale.  It  is  more  profitable 
to  make  the  berries  into  oil  than  to  pickle  them. 

There  is  an  olive  tree  in  Santa  Barbara  that  is  thirty 
years  old,  from  which  has  been  made  forty-eight  dollars' 
worth  of  oil  each  year  for  three  successive  years.  It  is 
estimated  that  an  olive  orchard  will  yield  about  nine  hun- 
dred dollars,  gross,  per  acre.  Allowing  half  of  that  amount 
for  cost  of  culture  and  manufacture,  which  is  an  over- 
generous  estimate,  and  there  remains  a  very  handsome 
income  from  the  investment.  It  is  a  particularly  pleasant 
arrangement  for  those  who  have  not  much  land  —  only  a 
town  lot  or  two  —  to  set  out  olive  trees,  which  will  not 
only  furnish  shade  all  the  year,  but  in  the  season  pro- 
duce fruit  that  can  be  turned  into  money. 

The  fruit  in  its  ripe  state  is  very  nutritious,  and  people 
can  live  on  it  for  days  without  other  sustenance;  but  it 
has  a  bitter,  acrid  taste,  which  makes  it  anything  but  at- 
tractive to  the  uninitiated.  The  olives  of  California  are 
said  to  be  better  than  those  of  France  or  Spain,  probably 
because  they  have  a  better  chance  to  absorb  the  sunshine, 
and  a  richer  soil  from  which  to  draw  their  nourishment. 
There  is  a  grove  of  old  olive  trees  near  the  mission  church 
which  was  set  out  by  the  Spanish  padres  fifty  or  sixty  years 
ago.  These  trees  are  still  a  source  of  income  to  their 
owners.     This  old  mission  church  was  established  in  1786. 


SOUTHERN    CALIFOKKIA.  87 

It  is  about  two  miles  fi-om  the  wharf,  on  a  plateau  which 
rises  all  the  way,  gradually,  from  the  beach,  until  where 
the  church  stands  it  is  more  than  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea-level.  As  these  old  Catholic  churches  are 
all  built  after  one  general  plan,  it  may  be  well  to  give  a 
more  jDarticular  description  of  the  one  at  Santa  Barbara, 
and  "a&  uno  disce  omnes.'''' 

The  church  is  built  of  sandstone  and  adobe  in  the  Moor- 
ish style  of  architecture.  It  is  quite  imposing  seen  from 
afar,  with  its  two  high  towers  and  rather  grand  and 
massive  air.  The  walls  are  over  live  feet  thick,  and  the 
cement  that  unites  the  stones  cannot  be  broken  with  a 
pick.  I  make  this  statement,  not  from  experimental  knowl- 
edge, but  from  testimony  that  I  find  on  record.  The 
ancient  tile  roof  has  been  replaced  by  one  of  shingles. 
Tile  roofs  were  not  among  the  least  curious  things  brought 
to  light  and  knowledge  by  the  chance  to  see  the  handi- 
work of  the  Spaniards.  A  cylindrical  pipe,  made  of  red- 
burnt  clay,  not  far  from  the  size  of  an  ordinary  stove-pipe, 
cut  in  halves  longitudinally,  and  from  two  to  four  feet 
long,  is  as  accurate  a  description  of  these  tiles  as  comes 
to  hand.  Two  of  these  are  laid  parallel  with  each  other, 
and  a  third  is  laid  over  so  as  to  cover  the  space  between 
them.  There  are  little  gutters  along  the  sides  to  carry  off 
the  water.  They  are  very  clumsy  looking  affairs,  and 
would  seem  to  be  a  heavy  weight  for  any  rafters  and  walls 
to  support.  The  adol^e  houses  of  the  Mexicans  are  covered 
with  these  tile  roofs. 

"  The  largest  grape  vine  in  the  world  "  is  another  of  the 
meritorious  things  that  Santa  Barbara  claims.  This  grows 
at  Montecito,  about  three  miles  from  the  town.     It  was 


88  TWO    YEAKS   IN    CALIFOKNIA. 

planted  toward  the  end  of  the  last  century  by  a  Spanish 
lady,  who  came  from  Sonora  on  horseback.  There  is  a 
bit  of  romance  connected  with  it  that  gives  a  little  addi- 
tional interest  to  the  wonderful  vine.  When  the  young 
lady  was  about  starting  from  Sonora  her  lover  broke  a 
branch  from  a  grape-vine  and  gave  it  to  her  to  be  used  as  a 
riding-whip.  The  giver  sanctified  the  gift  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  lady  kept  the  whip  to  the  end  of  her 
journey,  and  then,  to  make  it  a  perpetual  memento, 
planted  it  in  the  ground.  The  vine  took  root  and  grew, 
until  its  greatness  astonishes  the  people.  The  trunk  is 
four  feet  four  inches  in  circumference.  After  reaching 
the  height  of  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  it  sends  out  its 
branches,  which  are  trained  on  horizontal  trellises  that 
are  supported  here  and  there  by  posts,  and  thus  the  vine 
is  made  to  cover  an  area  of  five  thousand  square  feet.  Its 
annual  yield  for  many  years  has  been  from  ten  to  twelve 
thousand  pounds  of  grapes.  There  is  a  fig-tree  near  by  it 
to  which  some  branches  of  the  vine  extend,  so  that  the  lady 
who  planted  the  latter  could  literally  sit  under  her  own 
vine  and  fig-tree.  The  planter  of  the  vine  died  not  many 
years  ago,  having  done  what  but  few  are  permitted  to 
do  —  entered  a  second  time  into  her  "teens."  Report 
says  that  she  was  one  hu.ndred  and  thirteen  years  old 
at  the  time  of  her  death;  a  striking  proof  that  the  cli- 
mate of  Santa  Barbara  is  conducive  to  length  of  days. 

The  latest  news  in  regard  to  this  celebrated  grape-vine 
is,  that  it  is  boxed  up  and  on  its  way  to  attend  the  Centen- 
nial at  Philadelphia,  where  all  the  world  is  to  be  gathered 
together.  But  it  will  come  stripped  of  its  glory,  and  its 
beauty  will  be  henceforth  only  a  memory. 


SOUTHERN^    CALIFORNIA.  89 

Santa  Barbara,  beautiful  as  it  is  for  situation,  is  attract- 
ive also  to  the  fortunate  ones  who  do  not  need  to  search 
for  lost  health.  The  mountains  round  about  it  are  charm- 
ing at  all  times.  They  are  especially  so  at  evening,  when 
there  hover  and  rest  upon  them  the  rosy  tints  and  soft 
azure  haze  that  travelers  say  are  seen  in  Italy  and  other 
countries  on  the  Mediterranean.  One  evening,  when  the 
sun  was  setting,  the  mountains  on  the  eastern  side  pre- 
sented a  picture  which  will  be  to  me  "  a  joy  forever."  I 
wish  that  I  could  worthily  describe  it,  so  as  to  give  even  a 
faint  idea  of  its  glory  and  its  grandeur.  The  mountain  is 
corrugated,  as  all  the  foot-hills  of  the  Coast  Range  are. 
The  sun,  in  going  to  its  rest,  shone  in  such  a  direction  as  to 
make  the  different  points  and  jDrojections  cast  their  shadows 
on  the  adjoining  depressions.  So  the  hill-side  was  flecked 
over  with  a  rich  green,  which  was  now  golden  in  the  sun- 
light, and  then  subdued  and  saddened  by  a  shadow,  like 
life  with  its  ever- varying  shades  of  joy  and  sorrow.  Upon 
the  top  of  the  mountain  there  rested  a  mist  —  a  soft  azure 
veil  just  dipped  in  the  tint  of  the  rose,  which,  while  it 
concealed  nothing,  softened  the  outline  and  spiritualized 
the  whole.  I  watched  it  far  into  the  gloaming,  and  saw  the 
light  go  out  gradually  and  gently,  like  the  light  of  life  to 
the  dying  saint,  changing  every  minute,  yet  each  change 
revealing  some  new  beauty,  till,  finally,  the  brightness 
faded  away,  and  one  star  after  another  came  out  to  see. 
Meanwhile,  near  by  was  the  ocean,  calm  as  though  it  had 
quieted  itself  for  unwonted  rest,  catching  and  reflecting 
the  beautiful  tints  which  the  mountain-top  threw  down 
to  it. 

To  the  traveler  from  the  east  who  makes  Santa  Barbara 


90  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

the  first  stopping-place  in  southern  California  it  has  a  very 
foreign  look.  It  is  a  little  difficult  to  believe  that  the 
protection  of  the  tricolored  flag  is  over  this  place  also, 
with  its  old  adobe  houses  that  look  as  though  they  had  a 
heavy  burden  to  support  in  the  clumsy  tiles  which  perform 
the  ofiice  of  roofs  for  them.  The  adobe  of  which  these 
houses  are  built  is  simply  clay  moulded  into  forms  like 
brick,  though  generally  larger,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  All 
the  adobe  houses  in  southern  California  have  only  one 
story  and  one  tier  of  rooms,  so  that  there  could  be  no 
quarrel  as  to  who  should  have  front  rooms.  Many  of  them 
are  destitute  of  chimneys  and  guiltless  of  windows;  some- 
where, generally  from  a  small  room  in  the  rear  of  the 
main  building,  a  stove-pipe  can  be  seen  emerging  from  the 
roof,  declaring  the  throne-room  of  the  cook.  Where  there 
were  no  windows,  as  in  the  poorer  houses,  the  light  of  the 
dwelling  had  to  come  in  through  the  open  door. 

The  Spaniards  who  built  these  towns  seem  to  have 
eschewed  geometrical  figures  and  held  in  abhorrence  all 
straight  lines.  Everywhere  the  streets  are  crooked,  look- 
ing, many  of  them,  very  much  like  some  of  the  "  ways " 
in  the  "Hub." 

It  was  curious  to  see  the  mixture  of  colors  in  the  faces 
of  those  met  on  the  streets.  With  the  normal  white  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  there  was  mixed  almost  every  shade  of 
brown,  yellow  and  black. 

The  population  of  the  town  is  now  about  six  thousand, 
one  half  of  whom  are  Americans.  The  gain  of  the  latter 
has  been  very  rapid  during  the  last  few  years.  In  1865 
only  twenty-one  Americans  could  be  gathered  together  to 
celebrate  the  birthday  of  our  nation.     Now  the  number  of 


CATHEDRAL  ROCKS. 
Pages  219  and  220. 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  91 

voters  is   about  equally  divided   between   Americans   and 
Californians. 

It  is  only  within  a  comparatively  recent  time  that  the 
benefits  and  advantages  and  delightsomeness  of  this  Santa 
Barbara  region  have  been  understood  and  appreciated  by 
any  but  those  who  were  on  the  spot.  Under  the  somnolent 
influence  of  Mexican  rule  everything  languished.  The 
accommodations  were  too  wretched  to  attract  strangers,  or 
allow  of  their  staying  even  if  they  chanced  to  come.  A 
general  lethargy  prevailed,  which  checked  all  development 
and  all  enterprise.  But  American  energy  has  already 
accomplished  much,  and  promises  more.  Everywhere  there 
is  evidence  of  the  change  —  in  the  quickening  of  all  kinds 
of  enterprise,  in  the  improvements  that  are  manifest  in 
making  the  crooked  places  straight,  in  the  increased  accom- 
modations for  visitors,  as  well  as  in  their  better  enter- 
tainment. 

The  variety  of  fruit  that  can  be  raised  in  this  region  is 
very  great.  It  comprises  apples,  pears,  peaches,  plums, 
olives,  almonds,  apricots,  nectarines, —  in  short,  all  the 
fruits  of  the  temperate  zone,  as  well  as  of  the  semi-tropical 
belt.  Oranges  do  not  do  well,  except  in  places  where  they 
are  protected  from  the  winds  off  the  ocean.  The  growth 
of  fruit-trees  is  very  rapid.  Peaches  and  figs  sometimes 
bear  the  second  year  and  apples  the  third.  The  soil  is 
everywhere  wonderfully  rich  and  strong.  There  is  one 
thing,  however,  that  must  be  made  sure  of — water.  Like 
emphasis  to  the  orator,  this  is  the  first,  second  and  third 
requisite.  Let  the  supply  of  this  be  sufficient,  and  there  is 
scarcely  any  limit  to  the  variety  or  amount  of  production. 
Extravagant  as  these   statements   may  seem  to  those  who 


92  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

have  not  been  there  to  see,  they  are  very  easily  credible 
to  those  who  have. 

As  yet  there  are  but  two  ways  of  access  to  Santa  Bar- 
bara—  by  steamer  from  San  Francisco,  and  by  rail  from 
the  same  point  to  Hollister  and  thence  by  stage.  The  stage 
ride  occupies  about  sixty  hours,  including  a  few  hours'  rest 
at  San  Luis  Obispo.  It  is  not  unattractive  to  those  who 
have  the  strength  to  endure  it.  To  the  writer,  who  went 
down  by  sea  and  came  back  by  land,  the  latter  mode  of 
transit  seems  much  the  more  attractive  of  the  two.  The 
hours  of  sea-sickness,  and  the  almost  total  loss  of  time,  so 
far  as  any  increments  of  knowledge  were  concerned,  did  not 
make  the  sea- voyage  acceptable  at  the  time  or  pleasant  in 
the  recollection;  while  in  the  journey  by  land  there  was 
much  that  was  interesting  and  that  returns  pleasantly  to 
the  memory. 

The  views  enjoyed  in  ascending  and  passing  over  the 
Santa  Inez  mountains,  just  after  leaving  Santa  Barbara, 
are  among  the  valuable  possessions  which  will  be  retained. 
After  starting,  the  road  leads  along  between  the  mountains 
and  the  sea  for  aboiit  ten  miles.  Then  the  ascent  of  the 
mountains  is  begun.  The  road  goes  through  Gaviota  pass. 
As  the  stage  winds  slowly  up  the  elevation  magnificent 
views  can  be  obtained,  made  up  of  mountain  and  valley 
and  sea,  the  latter  stretching  oif  into  the  infinite. 

They  have  a  curious  way  of  always  changing  the  driver 
and  the  coach  at  the  same  time  on  the  Pacific  coast.  I 
found  this  custom  prevailing  everywhere.  Each  driver  has 
his  own  coach,  or  one  of  which  he  has  the  exclusive  propri- 
etorship. When  we  made  our  first  change  after  leaving 
Santa  Barbara,  we  were  put  into  a  very  delapidated  wagon, 


SOUTHERX    CALIFORNIA.  93 

which  was  minus  a  cover  and  everything  else  that  was 
necessary  to  comfort.  The  prospect  of  riding  the  greater 
part  of  the  night  in  this  uncomfortable  vehicle  was  not  an 
attractive  one,  especially  as  the  clouds  were  throwing  down 
upon  us  occasional  drops  of  rain,  which,  there  was  good 
reason  to  believe,  were  only  an  earnest  of  what  was  coming 
in  the  very  near  future;  therefore,  when  at  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  drove  up  to  quite  a  comfortable 
looking  adobe  house  I  was  so  urgently  advised  to  stop  over 
and  wait  for  a  more  comfortable  coach  the  next  day,  that  I 
concluded  to  do  so.  The  twenty-four  hours'  delay  gave  me 
an  interesting  experience. 

Mr.  Foxon,  at  whose  house  I  stayed,  is  an  Englishman, 
and  claims  to  be  the  oldest  Anglo-Saxon  settler  now  living 
in  California.  He  has  been  more  than  fifty  years  in  the 
State,  and  has  lived  where  he  now  does  since  1836.  He 
brought  his  family  there  the  year  following.  There  was 
no  settler  or  settlement  near,  and  the  household  lived  under 
a  tent  while  the  father  built  the  adobe  house  which  they 
now  occupy.  Some  of  his  accounts  of  the  doings  in  those 
early  times  bordered  so  nearly  upon  the  marvelous  as  to  be 
rather  a  tax  upon  one's  credulity.  Among  many  other 
things  that  were  passing  strange,  he  told  how  upon  one 
occasion  his  house  was  surrounded  by  grizzly  bears,  and  he 
standing  in  the  door,  with  his  wife  to  help  him  load  his 
gun,  had  killed  eleven  of  the  monsters!  He  had  often 
been  with  Kit  Carson  in  his  exploring  expeditions,  and 
shared  his  dangers  and  his  hardships.  He  had  also  engaged 
in  enterprises  under  the  leadership  of  Fremont.  His  wife 
was  Spanish,  and  in  all  the  half-century  they  had  lived 
together  she  had  not  learned  so  much  of  his  native  tongue 


94  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

as  would  enable  her  to  ask  or  answer  the  simplest  question. 
Eleven  of  their  eighteen  children  were  still  living,  several 
of  them  in  the  vicinity.  They  were  edvicated  at  the  Santa 
Inez  mission  school,  about  eighteen  miles  distant.  Mr. 
Foxon's  possessions  extended  over  many  leagues,  and  his 
flocks  and  herds  were  numbered  by  thousands.  A  few 
years  ago,  on  account  of  a  severe  drought  which  killed  the 
feed,  the  family  lost  in  a  single  season  fifteen  thousand 
sheep  and  seven  thousand  cattle,  and  yet  in  the  twenty-four 
hours  I  stayed  there,  and  the  four  meals  I  ate,  I  saw  neither 
milk  nor  butter,  nor  anything  into  which  milk  enters  as  a 
compound,  and  no  fruit  of  any  sort.  Neither  did  I  see 
anywhere  around  the  house  anything  that  looked  like  a 
garden,  or  any  preparations  for  raising  vegetables  for  the 
future.  In  answer  to  some  questions  having  a  bearing 
vipon  the  subject,  Mr.  Foxon  said  that  it  was  too  windy 
to  raise  fruit;  he  had  tried  two  or  three  times;  had  set 
out  trees,  etc.  Of  course  a  Yankee  would  have  found  a 
way  to  remedy  this  difficulty  by  seeking  a  sheltered  place, 
which  must  have  been  easy  to  find,  where  the  surface  was 
so  uneven  and  hills  near  by,  or  he  would  have  constructed 
a  shelter  to  keep  ofi'  the  wind.  Mr.  Foxon  said  he  supposed 
they  might  milk  a  cow  or  two,  and  have  milk  and  butter; 
but  they  had  sheep  corraled  near  by,  and  if  they  had  cows 
they  would  be  obliged  to  rise  early  to  milk  them  and  get 
them  out  of  the  way  before  the  sheep  were  let  out,  which 
would  be  a  trouble;  so  they  lived  on  meat  and  bread  (un- 
accompanied by  butter)  and  eggs,  and  creamless  coffee.  But, 
as  if  to  make  up  for  the  quality,  they  increased  the  number 
of  their  meals.  Although  the  breakfast  was  not  over  till 
somewhere  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  they  had  four 


SOUTHERN"    CALIFORNIA.  95 

meals  per  diem,  the  last  being  supper  at  six.  The  extra 
occasion  was  made  up  of  tortillas  and  tea  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon. 

I  think  I  was  quite  a  God-send  to  the  old  gentleman, 
and  he  made  the  most  of  the  blessing.  In  this  retired 
place  it  was  something  to  have  an  attentive  listener  for  a 
whole  day.  How  constantly  he  talked,  and  how  much  he 
told  me  of  the  early  times,  the  Indians,  the  bears  and  other 
wild  beasts!  He  did  not  think  that  the  coming  of  the 
Anglo-Saxons,  and  their  settlement  in  the  country,  had 
increased  the  content  and  happiness  of  the  inhabitants. 
As  for  their  enterprise  and  improvements,  what  was  the 
use  of  them  if  people  were  happier  without  them?  There 
never  were  people  that  lived  lives  so  easy,  so  full  of  con- 
tentment and  actual  happiness  as  the  Californians  did  when 
under  Spanish  and  Mexican  sway.  The  delightful  climate 
and  fertile  soil  made  it  easy  to  support  life,  and  what  they 
had  was  shared  by  all  who  needed  it.  The  coming  of 
Americans  introduced  selfishness,  the  greed  of  gain,  and 
all  the  thousand  ills  that  follow  in  their  train. 

In  an  interval  of  rest  in  the  conversation,  when  Mr. 
Foxon  went  out  for  a  walk,  I  looked  around  everywhere  for 
something  to  read.  Not  a  book,  not  a  newspaper,  old  or 
new,  was  to  be  found;  not  even  an  almanac  was  visible. 
It  seemed  strange  to  see  people  living  so  absolutely  iso- 
lated—  cut  off  from  all  the  interests  that  affect  the  race, 
both  in  the  past  and  present.  Three  sons  and  a  daughter 
were  still  at  home.  One  of  the  sons  bore  himself  with  the 
air  of  a  prince,  and  when  I  came  away,  to  assist  me  in 
starting,  bestowed  upon  me  numerous  little  civilities  in  a 
most  gentlemanly  and  even  courtly  manner. 


96  TWO   YEAES   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

We  reached  San  Luis  Obispo,  the  principal  town  in  the 
county  of  the  same  name,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  were  allowed  to  rest  until  seven,  when  we  started 
onward  again.  We  saw  the  old  mission  church  which  was 
built  in  the  earlj^  mission  days,  and  gave  name  to  the  town 
and  county.  Soon  after  leaving  San  Luis  Obispo  we  crossed 
the  Santa  Lucia  mountains,  a  spur  of  the  Coast  Range, 
and  were  then  in  the  Salinas  valley.  This  is  a  fine  area  of 
land,  about  seventy-five  miles  long  and  from  three  to  five 
miles  wide. 

About  one-half  of  the  valley  lies  within  the  limits  of 
San  Luis  Obispo  county.  We  crossed  the  Santa  Margarita 
ranch,  belonging  to  Mr.  Murphy,  soon  after  descending  the 
mountains.  This  ranch  has  within  its  boundaiy  twenty- 
five  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  upon  these  acres  roam 
seventeen  thousand  head  of  cattle,  all  of  which  are  owned 
by  Mr.  Murphy.  As  we  rode  along  in  the  stage  a  gentle- 
man, who  was  well  acquainted  in  that  region,  pointed  out  a 
place  that  had  been  disrupted  and  thrown  into  confusion  by 
an  earthquake  not  many  years  before.  Large  fissures  were 
made  in  the  ground,  which  closed  again  with  a  suddenness 
that  allowed  them  to  swallow  up  horses  and  cattle  that 
were  feeding  on  the  spot  in  unconscious  ignorance  of  the 
casualty  that  awaited  them.  Quite  a  number  of  horses 
disappeared  in  this  catastrophe,  some  of  which  left  their 
tails  or  their  feet  sticking  out  of  the  cracks  so  as  to  iden- 
tify the  cause  and  place  of  their  departure.  These  were 
their  only  mementoes. 

Twenty  miles  north  of  San  Luis  Obispo  we  came  to 
the  Paso  Robles  ranch.  This  lies  on  a  beautiful  level 
plain,  and  includes  ten  square  miles.      The   Paso  Robles 


SOUTHERISr    CALIFORNIA.  97 

springs  are  on  this  ranch,  and  are  quite  a  place  of  resort. 
There  are  two  or  three  large  buildings  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  visitors,  and  they  seemed  to  be  well  filled  when 
we  were  there.  The  water  in  a  spring  near  the  house  is 
scalding  hot,  while  in  one  but  a  mile  distant  it  is  icy  cold, 
but  in  both  it  is  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur. 
There  was  quite  a  civilized  look  around  these  springs,  and 
much  was  said  in  commendation  of  the  healing  power  of 
the  waters.  The  greater  part  of  this  day's  ride  was 
through  the  Salinas  valley,  and  there  was  much  to  make 
it  attractive.  The  sun  was  bright  and  not  too  warm,  the 
air  was  pure  and  the  sky  cloudless.  The  country  looked 
like  a  grand  park.  Large  oaks  stood  here  and  there  as 
a  skillful  landscape-gardener  would  have  placed  them  in 
order  to  get  the  best  effect.  There  were  no  thickets,  and 
only  trees  enough  to  give  beauty  and  variety  to  the  scene. 
The  ground  was  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  alfil- 
erilla,  a  native  product,  which  is  of  a  peculiarly  soft  and 
pleasant  green.  Without  looking  at  all  sickly,  it  has  a 
yellowish  tinge,  which  seems  to  give  peculiar  effect  to 
the  variations  of  light  —  to  the  alternations  of  brightness 
and  shadow.  This  alfilerilla  made  the  groundwork,  then 
the  pattern  was  filled  in  with  flowers,  "  whose  beauty  and 
whose  multitude  rivaled  the  constellations."  The  Cali- 
fornia poppy  (eschschoUzia)  was  in  full  blossom,  and  with 
its  yellow  petals  shading  off  from  a  deep  orange  to  a 
light  straw  color,  according  to  the  variety  to  which  it 
belonged,  covered  oftentimes  acres  of  ground.  Sometimes 
a  whole  hillside  was  one  solid  mass  of  molten  gold,  or 
seemed  to  be,  looking  at  it  from  a  distance.  Many  sov- 
ereigns might  have  had  their  meetings  on  places  covered 


98  TWO   YEARS    IN   CALIFORNIA. 

with  "cloth  of  gold"  without  any  help  from  the  uphol- 
sterer. In  other  places  purple  prevailed,  and  over  a  lai'ge 
extent  of  space  this  royal  color  was  spread  out.  Again 
flowers  that  were  red  or  blue  would  possess  the  land,  and 
afford  a  chance  for  comparison  as  to  which  of  the  different 
hues  was  most  agreeable  to  the  eye. 

To  one  pair  of  eyes  at  least  the  solution  was  easy. 
After  seeing  yellow  hills  by  the  score,  and  red  and  blue 
and  purple  fields,  there  was  something  very  restful  in 
looking  at  the  soft,  polished  and  comforting  green,  un- 
mixed with  anything  that  was  flaunting  or  gaudy.  The 
summing  up  of  the  verdict  was,  although  these  bright 
hues  are  beautiful  for  variety,  yet  if  choice  must  be  made 
for  common  use,  "green  it  shall  be,"  for  green  suits  the 
eyes  best, —  another  proof  that,  among  things  as  among 
persons,  the  brilliant  and  showy  may  please  us  as  occa- 
sionals,  but  for  every-day  wear  the  quieter  and  more 
durable  are  better. 

Soon  after  leaving  Paso  Robles  we  came  to  San  Miguel. 
The  old  mission  church  is  still  standing  and  is  in  quite 
a  good  state  of  preservation.  The  adjoining  wing,  which 
was  erected  for  the  use  of  the  priests,  is  now  perverted 
and  polluted  by  being  turned  into  a  dram-shop,  to  our 
personal  regret  and  the  increase  of  our  fears. 

Our  driver  had  for  some  time  been  giving  unmistak- 
able evidence  of  having  taken  a  great  many  drops  too 
much,  and  he  now  increased  his  potations  and  our  danger. 
He  lingered  over  his  cups  and  made  an  unreasonably  long 
delay.  We  flnally  started,  and  for  the  next  ten  or  fifteen 
miles  ran  such  a  race  as  would  have  left  John  Gilpin's 
famous   steed    far    behind.      Up    hill    and    down,   through 


SOUTHERN"    CALIFORXIA.  99 

rivers  and  quicksands,  we  went  at  a  speed  that  seemed 
to  one  unused  to  racing  more  than  a  two-forty  pace. 
We  crossed  the  Salinas  twice,  splashing  through  each 
time  as  though  running  for  a  wager  or  for  life.  When 
we  finally  stopped  at  the  next  station  for  a  change  of  horses 
our  poor  team  was  all  dripping  with  sweat,  and  every 
muscle  was  c^uivering  with  the  strain  to  which  it  had 
been  subjected. 

We  started  on  with  fresh  horses  with  almost  equal 
rapidity  of  motion,  nor  did  the  race  end  until  we  stopped 
at  the  philosophically  named  town  of  Plato,  and  changed 
team  and  driver.  In  all  the  eighteen  hundred  miles  that 
I  traveled  by  stage  upon  the  Pacific  coast  that  was  the  only 
"stage  fright"  I  had  —  the  only  case  in  which  I  had  any 
cause  to  doubt  the  skill  or  competency  of  the  driver. 

In  southern  California  especially,  the  drivers,  as  a  class, 
seemed  to  be  intelligent,  gentlemanly  men,  to  whom  it  was 
safe  for  a  lady  to  trust  herself,  and  upon  whom  she  might 
depend  for  any  attention  or  help  she  needed. 

The  Atlantic  and  Pacific  railroad,  as  now  surveyed,  will 
pass  through  the  Salinas  valley,  and  when  the  fortunate 
day  of  its  completion  comes  this  county  will  make  rapid 
strides  in  the  race  for  prosperity.  There  will  then  be  an 
outlet  for  the  products  of  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Salinas, 
and  tillers  of  the  soil  will  find  out  how  much  better  than 
gold-mines  are  the  riches  that  honest  toil  can  bring  forth 
from  the  ground. 

5* 


100  TWO   YEAKS   IN   CALIFORKIA. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    GREAT    VALLEY. 

THE  Great  Valley,  or  central  California,  is  that  part 
of  the  State  inclosed  between  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains  on  the  east  and  the  Coast  Range  on  the  west. 
It  is  about  five  hundred  miles  in  length,  with  an  average 
width  of  fifty  miles,  and  contains  sixteen  millions  of  acres 
of  land,  more  than  half  of  which  is  tillable.  Although 
in  configuration  a  unit,  the  valley  is  generally  considered 
as  divided  into  two,  the  Sacramento  valley,  so  called  from 
the  river  of  the  same  "name  which  flows  through  it,  and 
the  San  Joaquin  valley,  which  is  also  named  from  the 
river  traversing  nearly  its  entire  length.  The  Tulare 
valley  is  a  continuation  of  the  San  Joaquin,  and  is  named 
from  a  large  lake  within  its  borders. 

The  two  mountain  ranges  which  bound  the  entire  valley 
come  together  on  the  north  at  Mount  Shasta,  and  on  the 
south  at  Fort  Tejon.  The  land  thus  inclosed  is  trough- 
shaped,  descending  from  each  side  toward  the  center. 
The  Sacramento  river  rises  at  the  base  of  Mount  Shasta, 
and  flows  nearly  due  south  throughout  its  whole  course. 
The  San  Joaquin  rises  in  the  south,  and  coming  northward 
meets  the  Sacramento,  and  with  it  empties  into  San  Pablo 
bay,  which  empties  its  waters  through  the  straits  of  Car- 
quinez  into  Suisun  bay,  and  that  again  through  some 
unnamed  straits  into  the  bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  min- 
gling of  the  muddy  water  brought  down  by  these  rivers 


THE   GREAT  VALLEY.  101 

with  the  clear  water  of  San  Francisco  bay  sometimes  pro- 
duces very  curious  effects.  When  the  wind  disturbs  the 
surface  of  the  water,  as  it  almost  always  contrives  to  do, 
some  of  the  waves  are  clear  and  pure  looking,  while 
others  are  dark  and  turbid,  making  the  bay  look  mottled 
and  strangely  variegated. 

These  two  rivers,  the  Sacramento  and  the  San  Joaquin, 
are  the  only  rivers  in  California  that  are  navigable  for  any 
considerable  distance.  The  two  valleys  are  the  great 
wheat-fields  of  the  State.  The  San  Joaquin  has  the  ad- 
vantage as  to  quantity  and,  probably,  also  as  to  quality  of 
land.  It  contains  twelve  thousand  square  miles,  or  seven 
million  six  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  acres.  The  Sac- 
ramento valley  contains  eight  thousand  square  miles,  or 
five  million  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  acres,  being 
less  by  about  one-third  than  the  former. 

The  northern  part  of  the  Sacramento  valley,  although 
less  fertile,  has  the  advantage  over  the  region  further 
south  in  a  greater  rain-fall.  As  far  north  in  the  State 
as  Red  BluiF,  there  has  never  been  an  entire  failure  of  crop 
for  want  of  sufiicient  moisture,  while  in  the  San  Joaquin 
valley  it  is  thought  not  safe  to  expect  to  gather  in  harvests 
more  than  four  years  out  of  every  seven!  Rather  fearful 
odds  for  a  farmer! 

The  annual  rain-fall  in  the  San  Joaquin  valley  averages 
about  twelve  inches.  Stockton  is  at  the  head  of  the  valley, 
and  the  entrepot  of  its  trade.  It  is  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  miles  by  the  river  from  San  Francisco,  with 
which  it  is  also  connected  by  the  western  division  of  the 
Central  Pacific  railroad.  It  is  a  flourishing  place  of  twelve 
thousand  inhabitants. 


LTP"RA-RV 

UNIVERSITY  OF  C  '  ^  T^OFiNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


102  TWO    YEAES    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

These  two  rrreat  valleys  suffer  from  two  ■unfortunate 
conditions,  though  in  the  one  valley  the  misfortune  is 
greater  than  in  the  other.  They  have  both  too  much  and 
too  little  water.  There  are  about  three  millions  of  acres  of 
swaiup  and  overflowed  lands  to  be  reclaimed,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  remainder  needs  an  artificial  system  of 
irrigation  before  the  valleys  can  be  brought  up  to  their 
highest  state  of  productiveness.  It  does  not  require  to  be 
demonstrated  that  farmers  will  not  undertake  tillage  in  a 
country  where  the  chance  is  very  uncertain  that  the  gath- 
ering in  of  grain  will  follow  the  sowing.  Sensible,  thrifty 
men  will  hardly  take  shares  in  a  lottery  where  the  blanks 
are  about  equal  to  the  prizes.  For  this  reason,  although 
the  San  Joaquin  valley  has  been  open  for  settlement  more 
than  twenty  years,  and  is  as  fine  a  body  of  land  as  can  be 
found  in  the  world  for  the  growth  of  cereals,  it  is  still  very 
sparsely  settled,  and  much  of  it  entirely  unoccupied. 

In  1868  there  was  quite  an  influx  of  immigration  to  this 
valley.  But  the  three  succeeding  years  were  dry,  the  rain- 
fall was  quite  insufiicient,  and  there  was  an  almost,  and 
over  much  of  the  valley  a  complete,  failure  of  crops,  inso- 
much that  there  was  in  many  cases  absolute  suffering  for 
want  of  food.  Sheep  and  cattle  were  driven  off  and  sold 
for  whatever  could  be  obtained  for  them,  in  order  to  save 
them  from  death  by  starvation.  The  result  was  that  a 
large  proportion  of  the  immigrants  left  the  valley  and 
sought  places  where,  as  they  said,  "it  rained  sometimes." 
MiTltitudes  went  to  Oregon. 

The  rain-fall  in  Stockton  averages  twenty  inches.  Fur- 
ther south  it  is  considerably  less,  and,  of  course,  is  not 
sufficient   to   secure   crops   of  cereals.      In  the  years  just 


THE   GREAT   VALLEY.  103 

mentioned  it  was  scarcely  the  half  of  the  usual  amount. 
Occasionally  there  is  a  year  when  the  rain-fall  is  sufficient 
to  show  the  wonderful  capacity  for  production  which  the 
soil  possesses  when  the  conditions  are  favorable.  The  year 
1872  was  such  an  exception.  In  that  season  there  were 
twenty  millions  of  bushels  of  wheat  produced  in  these  two 
valleys,  with  less  than  a  fourth  part  of  the  land  under 
cultivation,  and  much  of  that  cultivation  of  the  rudest 
and  most  superficial  character.  Although  wheat  was  the 
principal  crop,  there  were  many  other  valuable  products 
raised  in  large  quantities. 

From  the  fraction  of  the  San  Joaquin  valley  that  was 
cultivated  twelve  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  wheat  was 
taken,  equal  in  value  to  more  than  half  the  product  of  all 
the  mines  in  the  State  for  the  twelvemonth,  while  the 
number  of  producers  in  the  case  of  the  wheat  was  not 
equal  to  a  tithe  of  those  employed  in  getting  the  gold. 

A  writer  says:  "Nature  or  nature's  God  has  done 
ninety-nine  parts  toward  making  these  valleys  one  of  the 
richest  agricultural  districts  in  the  world;  can  man  supply 
the  small  remaining  fraction?" 

Upon  examination,  it  appears  that  every  facility  has 
been  provided  for  doing  what  little  remains  to  be  done. 
The  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin  declines  toward  the  center, 
and  on  the  eastern  side  there  come  down  from  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains  innumerable  streams,  several  of  which 
are  large,  fine  rivers.  On  the  western  side  there  are  few 
rivers,  and  none  of  any  magnitude.  In  the  extreme  south- 
ern part  of  the  valley  there  are  three  lakes,  one  of  which, 
the  Tulare,  is  a  large  body  of  water,  covering  an  area  of 
seven  hundred  square  miles.     Investigation  has  led  to  the 


104  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

discovery  that  this  lake  is  two  hundred  feet  above  the  sea- 
level,  and  that  there  is  a  gradual  descent  from  it  all  the 
way  through  the  valley  to  San  Pablo  bay. 

The  question,  can  these  rich  lands,  for  which  nature  has 
done  so  much,  be  irrigated  in  such  a  way  and  at  such  an 
expense  as  to  make  crops  certain  and  profitable,  becomes, 
therefore,  an  easy  one  to  answer. 

One  of  the  advantages  of  living  so  far  down  in  the  ages 
is,  that  we  have  secured  to  us  the  chance  of  learning  from 
the  experience  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us;  Empiri- 
cism is  not  a  necessity  in  all  directions.  In  this  matter  of 
artificial  irrigation  experience  has  been  ample,  and  the  tes- 
timony that  can  be  made  available  is  abundant.  Systems 
of  irrigation  have  existed  as  far  back  as  the  authentic 
history  of  man  extends.  There  were  canals  in  Egypt  for 
irrigating  purposes  before  the  j)yramids  were  built.  In 
China,  canals  and  ditches  for  this  purpose  were  common 
long  before  the  time  of  Confucius.  On  our  own  continent, 
apparatus  for  irrigation  was  in  use  before  the  incoming  of 
Euroi^ean  population.  When  Cortez  conquered  Mexico  he 
found  arrangements  that  had  been  made,  at  a  great  expense 
of  labor  and  money,  for  supplementing  the  rain-fall.  There 
is  abundant  reason  to  believe  that  Arizona,  dry  and  barren 
as  it  is,  and  barren  because  dry,  was  once  a  flourishing 
agricultural  region,  with  hundreds  of  miles  of  irrigating 
canals  and  ditches,  and  a  population  numerous  enough  to 
build  large  cities  and  towns.  Even  the  Colorado  desert, 
that  most  arid  of  all  wastes,  the  worst  part  of  which  is 
comprised  by  the  delta  between  the  Gila  and  the  Colorado 
rivers,  was  not  always  the  forlorn  and  miserable  place  it  is 
at  present,  and  there  is  a  fair  promise  that  it  will  remain 


THE   GREAT  VALLEY.  105 

as  it  is  no  longer  when  the  means  for  its  irrigation  are 
made  feasible.  These  statements  are  taken  from  a  report 
made  by  Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne,  who  claims  that  he  has  per- 
sonal observation  for  his  authority. 

Northern  Italy  owes  its  fertility  and  populousness  to 
artificial  irrigation.  There  are  twelve  hundred  miles  of 
canals  in  Piedmont,  and  four  thousand  five  hundred  in 
Lombardy.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  increase  of 
population  has  been  fifty  per  cent,  greater  in  the  irrigated 
district  of  Piedmont  than  in  the  non-irrigated.  Districts 
that  were  formerly  desert  wastes  are  now  populous  and 
productive. 

But  in  China,  where  the  density  of  the  population  makes 
it  needful  to  make  the  most  of  all  possible  resources,  arti- 
ficial irrigation  has  been  carried  to  the  greatest  extent. 
The  great  plain  of  China,  which  has  an  area  of  two 
hundred  and  ten  thousand  square  miles,  is  a  vast  network 
of  rivers,  canals  and  ditches. 

There  is  also  a  vast  and  complete  system  of  artificial 
irrigation  in  India.  "The  Ganges  canal  is,  perhaps,  the 
largest  work  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  Its  full  capacity 
is  six  thousand  five  hundred  cubic  feet  of  water  a  second; 
the  width  of  the  bed  is  one  hundred  and  sixty- four  feet, 
and  the  depth  ten  feet.  The  main  channel  is  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  miles  in  length,  and  navigable  throughout; 
the  branches  are  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  aggregate 
length,  and  the  distributaries  three  thousand  seventy-one 
miles.  A  carriage  road  is  kept  up  on  all  the  main  and 
branch  canals,  and  the  banks  are  planted  with  trees." 

These  facts  show  what  has  been  done  in  the  old  world, 
and  the  feasibility  of  meeting  the  needs  of  the  case  in  the 


106  TWO    YEARS    IX    CALIFORNIA. 

new.  It  remains  to  be  seen  what  steps  have  already  been 
taken,  and  what  plans  have  been  projected  for  doing  what 
is   so  evidently  necessary  for  the  prosperity  of  the  State. 

Men  of  enterprise  and  capital,  most  of  whom  are  resi- 
dents of  San  Francisco,  formed  a  joint-stock  company, 
which  was  incorporated  by  act  of  legislature  in  September, 
1871,  under  the  name  and  title  of  "The  San  Joaquin 
King's  River  Canal  and  Irrigation  Company."  The  capi- 
tal amounted  to  ten  million  dollars,  which  was  divided 
into  one  hundred  thousand  shares  at  one  hundred  dollars 
each. 

"  The  objects  are,  the  construction  of  a  system  of  canals 
in  the  Great  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  valleys  in  the 
State  of  California,  leading  from  the  San  Joaquin  river,  the 
King's  river  and  their  tributaries,  also  from  the  Tulare 
lake,  the  Kern  and  Buena  Vista  lakes,  and  waters  flowing 
thereinto,  for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and  freight, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  irrigation  and  water  power,  and 
also  the  supplying  of  cities  and  towns  in  the  State  of 
California  with  fresh  water  for  domestic  purposes;  also  the 
buying  and  selling  of  lands  and  real  estate.  This  com- 
pany's charter  is  to  exist  for  fifty  years.  The  preliminary 
objects  of  the  company  are  the  construction  of  main  canals 
through  Kern,  Tulare,  Fresno,  Merced,  Stanislaus,  San 
Joaquin,  Contra  Costa  and  Alameda  counties,  leading  from 
the  above  mentioned  lakes  and  rivers,  for  irrigating  por- 
tions of  said  counties,  and  for  affording  navigation  the  year 
round  from  Kern  lake  to  tide- water  near  Antioch,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  hundred  miles." 

The  sources  of  supply  are  from  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains,  where  the  melting  of  snow  during  the  spring 


SENTINEL  ROCK.     Page  221. 


THE    GREAT   VALLEY.  107 

and  summer  months  keeps  the  rivers  full  at  a  time  when 
water  is  most  required  for  the  land. 

Tulare  lake,  at  its  lowest  stage  of  water,  is  rather  over 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  covers  an  area  of 
seven  hundred  square  miles.  Six  feet  of  water  drawn  off 
its  surface  would  suffice  to  irrigate  five  millions  of  acres  of 
grain  and  cotton.  The  average  depth  of  the  lake  is  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty-five  feet.  There  are  no  mountains  or 
hills  intervening  along  the  course  of  the  proposed  main 
canal  and  the  bay  at  Antioch. 

The  fall  of  the  valley  between  the  lake  and  tide-water 
at  Antioch  is  about  fourteen  inches  to  the  mile ;  and  from 
the  foot-hills  of  the  Monte  Diablo  range  of  mountains, 
which  bound  its  west  side,  to  the  San  Joaquin  river,  the 
transverse  fall  of  the  valley  is  from  six  to  twenty  feet  to 
the  mile,  so  that  the  drainage  is  naturally  perfect,  and  no 
swamps  and  malaria  can  be  created  by  its  proper  irriga- 
tion. 

The  soil  is  of  a  rich  brown  loam  along  the  west  side  of 
the  valley,  and  a  sandy,  rich  loam  on  the  east  side.  On  the 
west  side  wells  have  been  sunk  over  one  hundred  feet  in 
depth  through  pure  alluvial  soil  without  any  rock  or 
gravel. 

The  surface  of  the  ground  generally  along  the  west 
side  of  the  valley  is  remarkably  even,  and  unusually  free 
from  rivers  and  water-courses,  so  the  cost  of  construction 
will  be  comparatively  light. 

The  main  canal  from  the  lake  to  Antioch  will  have  a 
discharge  of  fifteen  hundred  cubic  feet  per  second,  and  be 
capable  of  carrying  a  depth  of  ten  feet  of  water,  with  a 
width  of  one  hundred  feet.     The  length  of  this  canal  will 


108  TWO   YEARS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

be  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  The  company's  charge 
for  water  to  the  actual  settler  on  each  legal  subdivision  of 
the  public  land  is  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  acre  per 
crop  of  grain,  cotton  or  grass. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  valley  the  numerous  streams 
which  have  their  sources  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains 
come  down  well  filled,  and  best  filled  when  most  water  is 
needed,  for  the  hot  summer  sun,  which  dries  the  surface 
in  the  valley,  melts  the  snow  that  is  stored  away  in  the 
mountains. 

The  value  of  these  canals  will  be  much  enhanced  and 
their  profitableness  increased  by  the  fact  that  they  can  be 
used  for  transportation.  The  advantage  of  water  over 
land  carriage  on  the  score  of  cheapness  is  recognized  the 
world  over;  and  in  these  days  of  railroad  monopolies  and 
high  tariffs,  that  advantage  will  have  greater  appreciation. 

It  is  a  somewhat  startling  fact  that  in  the  State  of  New 
Yoi'k,  with  its  multiplicity  of  railroads  and  comparatively 
low  charges,  in  the  year  1871-2  nearly  one-third  of  the 
entire  tonnage  which  passed  through  the  State  going  from 
the  west  to  the  east  passed  over  the  Erie  canal,  which  in 
the  minds  of  many  has  become  almost  a  thing  of  the  past, 
so  much  more  noise  is  made  by  the  railroads! 

A  less  amount  of  interest  and  energy  in  creating  facili- 
ties for  irrigation  than  have  already  been  expended  in 
building  flumes  and  constructing  ditches  for  mining  pur- 
poses in  California  would  convert  these  great  valleys  into 
one  of  the  finest  agricultural  regions  in  the  world.  Crops 
would  then  be  certain,  and  when  the  husbandman  sowed  he 
might  be  sure  that  in  due  time  he  would  reap  and  gather 
in  his  harvests. 


THE    GEEAT   VALLEY.  109 

It  will  perhaps  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  those  who 
have  not  looked  into  the  matter,  to  know  that  the  aggregate 
extent  of  mining  ditches  and  canals  built  in  California 
since  1851  reaches  the  extraordinary  figure  of  five  thou- 
sand three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  miles!  And  they 
have  been  built  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  million  five  thousand 
four  hundred  dollars!  Some  of  these  ditches  cost  from 
five  hundred  to  one  million  dollars. 


110  TWO   YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

RECLAMATION. 

NOT  only  are  these  vast  quantities  of  land  to  be  irri- 
gated in  order  to  bring  them  up  to  their  highest 
producing  capacity,  but  there  are  also  three  millions  of 
acres  from  which  the  water  is  to  be  drained  before  it 
can  be  used  for  agricultural  purposes.  This  land  consists 
in  part  of  marsh  land  contiguous  to  the  bay  and  its  estu- 
aries, and  in  part  of  tule  lands  which  border  the  San 
Joaquin  and  Sacramento  rivers,  and  extend  through  a 
considerable  part  of  both  valleys,  forming  a  strip  varying 
in  width  at  a  greater  or  less  distance  from  the  river. 

During  the  last  three  years  much  has  been  done  toward 
reclaiming  both  classes  of  lands.  The  success  attending 
these  efforts  has  been  very  gratifying.  The  islands  in  the 
bays  of  Suisun  and  San  Pablo,  and  the  delta  formed  at 
the  junction  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  rivers, 
have  been  reclaimed  or  are  now  in  process  of  reclamation. 
This  process  consists  simply  in  raising  a  levee  or  dyke 
high  enough  to  exclude  the  water,  and,  when  the  marsh 
is  salt,  in  freshening  it  by  letting  it  lie  till  the  rains  have 
washed  out  the  salt.  This  operation  may  be  quickened 
by  flooding  the  land  with  fresh  water  from  artesian  wells, 
or  any  other  source  available.  It  has  been  found  that 
the  second  year  after  they  have  been  reclaimed  these  lands 
will  produce  alfalfa,  and  the  third  year  abundant  crops 
of  grain. 


RECLAMATION.  Ill 

The  yield  of  these  moist  lands  in  alfalfa,  timothy  and 
the  various  grasses  is  enormous.  Five  tons  to  the  acre 
is  considered  an  average  crop,  while  as  high  as  eight  tons 
in  a  single  year  is  not  uncommon.  At  fifteen  dollars  per 
ton  a  very  handsome  profit  can  be  made. 

On  Sherman  Island  some  of  the  lands  cultivated  in 
wheat  yielded  a  profit  of  not  less  than  thirty  dollars  to  the 
acre,  while  the  average  was  twenty-five  dollars.  According 
to  ofiicial  reports,  eighty  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre 
have  been  raised  on  some  of  these  reclaimed  lands.  Sher- 
man Island,  which  lies  in  the  bight  of  the  delta  formed  by 
the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  rivers  just  as  they  enter 
Suisun  bay,  has  an  area  of  sixteen  thousand  acres.  It  has 
been  reclaimed  by  building  a  dyke  entirely  around  it. 
The  investment  has  been  found  to  be  a  very  profitable 
one.  Two  crops  even  of  potatoes  can  be  raised  in  a  season 
with  large  results  each  time.  The  owner  of  a  farm  on  the 
island  sent  to  New  York  for  three  barrels  of  early  rose 
potatoes,  which  had  not  then  found  their  way  to  California. 
By  the  time  the  potatoes  reached  him  they  had  cost  an 
extravagantly  high  price.  They  were  planted  in  January, 
and  in  June  were  ripe  and  ready  for  digging.  The  farmer 
let  them  remain  out  of  the  ground  until  August,  when  he 
planted  the  entire  yield  of  the  first  crop.  He  had  another 
prolific  yield,  which  he  sold  at  such  rates  as  to  give  him  the 
largest  percentage  on  the  original  investment  that  any 
capital  had  ever  returned  to  him. 

Besides  these  swamp  lands  which  Holland  and  other 
countries  have  in  common  with  California,  there  is  another 
class  of  lands  which  is  peculiarly  a  Californian  possession. 
These  are  the  tule  lands,  so  called  from  the  only  product  of 


112  TWO    YEAKS    IN    CALIFOKNIA. 

the  soil  —  the  tule  (pronounced  in  two  syllables).  The  tule 
is  a  species  of  bulrush,  and  judging  from  the  size  it  must 
be  the  great  father  of  all  the  bulrushes.  It  grows  from 
six  to  ten  feet  high;  occasionally  one  more  enterprising 
than  its  compeers  attaining  the  altitude  of  ten  feet.  The 
tule  is  straight  as  an  arrow,  and  without  joints  or  leaves  or 
any  appendage  except  upon  the  very  summit,  which  is 
crowned  with  a  head  not  unlike  that  upon  the  sorghum, 
only  upon  a  reduced  scale.  These  tules  grow  so  luxuriantly 
and  thickly  on  the  rich,  swampy  land  that  neither  man  nor 
beast  can  make  a  way  through  them;  they  must  be  trodden 
down  and  made  into  a  sort  of  pontoon  bridge  and  walked 
over.  During  the  fall  or  early  winter  they  are  often 
burned.  The  fires  made  by  the  burning  tules  can  be  seen 
miles  away,  looking  not  unlike  the  fires  on  the  prairies, 
except  that  the  volume  of  smoke  is  greater  and  of  a  more 
tartarean  color.  Woe  to  the  laundress  whose  clothes  are 
on  the  line  out-of-doors  when  the  tules  are  on  fire  any- 
where within  a  radius  of  ten  miles!  The  soot  comes  down 
in  large  flakes,  which  sometimes  so  fill  the  air  as  to  resem- 
ble a  snow-storm,  with  the  difierence  that  each  particular 
flake  seems  to  have  been  dyed  in  an  ink-bottle.  There  is  a 
belt  of  these  tule  lands  reaching  all  the  way  from  Kern 
lake  to  the  Upper  Sacramento.  These,  like  the  swamp 
lands,  are  wonderfully  productive  when  reclaimed.  The 
soil  is  frequently  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  and  made 
up  of  a  compound  of  matted  roots  and  decayed  tules. 
These  are  so  thoroughly  decomposed  below  the  surface  of 
the  living  fiber,  that  cultivation,  even  the  first  year,  is  not 
difficult.      It  is  safe  to  calculate  upon  at  least  one-third 


EECLAMATION".  113 

more   product  from  these  reclaimed  tule  lands  than  from 
the  best  valley  lands. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  reclamation  of  these 
lands,  whether  swamp  or  tule,  will  be  of  little  avail  without 
a  system  of  irrigation  which  shall  include  and  cover  them. 
The  nature  of  the  soil  will  make  irrigation  an  absolute 
necessity. 


114  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

NORTHERN    CALIFORNIA. 

THIS  part  of  the  State  is  well  entitled  to  more  atten- 
tion than  it  has  received.  The  law  of  compensation 
which  is  found  to  prevail  almost  everywhere  in  this  world 
is  not  inoperative  here.  In  some  respects  northern  Cali- 
fornia has  the  advantage  over  any  other  part  of  the  State. 
In  the  first  place  there  is  not  the  same  or  an  equal  de- 
ficiency in  the  rain-fall,  which  in  some  places  is  double 
that  in  San  Francisco,  and  is  more  equally  divided  in  the 
times  of  falling.  In  addition  to  the  reason  assigned  for  a 
greater  rain-fall  in  a  previous  chapter,  there  is  a  local 
cause  which  cooperates  with  the  general  one,  at  least  in 
the  counties  bordering  on  the  coast,  namely,  the  prevalence 
of  redwood  forests,  which  have  a  remarkable  power  to 
arrest  moisture  and  condense  it  into  rain.  These  redwoods 
(Sequoia  setnpervirens)  belong  exclusively  to  the  Coast 
Range  mountains.  Two  conditions  seem  to  be  essential 
to  their  growth  —  the  foggy  regions  peculiar  to  the  Coast 
Range,  and  an  underlying  basis  of  metamorphic  sandstone. 
They  are  not  found  where  these  conditions  do  not  co-exist. 
From  the  northern  part  of  the  State  down  to  Tomales  bay, 
in  Marin  county,  they  form  a  continuous  forest,  increas- 
ing in  width  northward.  The  redwood,  though  less  in  ex- 
tent than  its  half-brother,  the  Sequoia  gigantea,  or  big-tree, 
has  greater  commercial  value;  indeed,  in  this  respect  it 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  California  trees.     A  red- 


NORTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  115 

wood  tree  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter  contains  forty  thou- 
sand cubic  feet,  and  weighs  two  million  five  hundred 
thousand  pounds.  The  shingles  made  from  a  single  tree 
will  load  a  schooner,  and  it  is  recorded  that  a  man,  after 
building  his  house  and  barn  out  of  the  lumber  of  one 
individual  ti-ee,  had  enough  timber  left  to  fence  a  garden 
containing  two  acres  of  land! 

These  trees  grow  to  a  height  but  little  less  than  that 
attained  by  the  other  species  of  Sequoia.  They  grow  two 
hundred  and  even  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  The 
foliage  is  less  like  that  of  the  cedar,  and  more  like  the 
hemlock,  than  is  that  of  the  big-tree.  In  those  counties 
in  northern  California  which  border  upon  the  sea,  saw- 
mills are  numerous,  and  the  lumber-trade  the  absorbing 
interest.  Humboldt  bay,  in  the  county  of  the  same  name, 
is  the  great  center  of  this  business.  This  bay,  which  is 
two  hundred  and  twenty-three  miles  north  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  the  best  harbor  found  between  Puget  Sound  and 
the  Golden  Gate.  "  It  is  formed  by  two  densely  timbered 
peninsulas,  which  inclose  a  very  handsome  bay  about  twelve 
miles  in  length,  and  from  two  to  five  miles  in  width,  its 
shores  thickly  timbered  with  magnificent  pine  and  red- 
wood to  the  water's  edge.  The  entrance  to  this  bay  is 
about  one-quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  with  eighteen  feet  of 
water  at  low  tide." 

Of  these  northern  counties  Humboldt  is  on  many  ac- 
counts the  most  attractive.  It  has  a  fine  harbor,  and  the 
only  one  in  northern  California.  Some  of  the  finest  red- 
wood forests  in  the  State  are  found  here.  It  has  water 
pi'ivileges,  abundant  and  good,  on  the  river  of  the  same 
name,  which  runs  across  it.    There  is  unused  power  suffi- 


116  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

cient  to  turn  any  quantity  of  machinery.  It  has  good 
grazing  lands  in  abundance,  which  make  wool-growing 
very  profital^le.  There  is  scarcely  a  doubt  that  sheep  will 
do  better  here  than  in  any  part  of  southern  California. 
But,  as  an  offset  to  these  advantages,  and  to  bring  things 
nearer  to  an  equilibrium,  Shasta  and  Siskiyou  will  soon 
have  a  railroad  running  through  them  from  south  to  north. 
The  California  and  Oregon  railroad  is  now  finished  and 
in  running  order  to  Fort  Redding,  in  the  southern  part 
of  Shasta  county,  and  the  parties  who  have  it  in  hand  are 
hurrying  it  on  to  completion.  And  where  the  railroad  goes, 
there  go,  in  its  company,  all  the  appliances  of  civilization. 
Locomotives  and  tenders  ought  to  be  reckoned  among  the 
tools  for  missionary  operations;  for  they  equalize  the  con- 
ditions of  countries;  they  carry  peoples  and  ideas,  and 
scatter  light  wherever  they  go.  Brigham  Young  set  the 
seal  to  the  destruction  of  the  "peculiar  institution"  among 
the  Mormons  when  he  adopted  measures  for  making  a  rail- 
way to  connect  Salt  Lake  City  with  the  remainder  of  the 
world. 

And  yet  there  comes  a  doubt  whether  those  who  are 
whisked  through  northern  California  and  Oregon  by  the 
iron  horse  will  see  as  much  beauty  and  enjoy  as  much  as 
a  certain  person  did  who  came  through  in  a  poor,  uncom- 
fortable mud-wagon,  or  a  series  of  them,  with  four  horses 
for  locomotive  power! 

This  ride  was  a  part  of  an  overland  journey  from  Port- 
land, and  was  made  in  the  season  of  the  year  when  the 
country  looked  its  best,  being  arrayed  in  its  autumnal 
garments.  Enough  rain  had  fallen  to  lay  the  dust  effect- 
ually, and  even  convert  it  into  mud  ixi  many  places.     The 


NORTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  117 

deciduous  trees  had  put  on  their  yellow  and  brown  and 
russet  attire  —  a  thing  which  they  never  do  further  south. 
The  air  was  pure  and  exhilarating,  as  it  always  is  after  the 
rains  begin.  The  day  on  which  the  journey  was  made 
down  the  great  Sacramento  cailon  stands  out  in  the  mem- 
ory as  one  of  the  whitest  of  white  days.  In  all  the  many 
hundred  miles  of  travel  on  the  Pacific  coast  there  was  noth- 
ing like  that! — no  day  the  glory  of  which  was  equal  to  the 
glory  of  that,  unless  a  day  on  the  upper  Columbia  should  be 
excepted.  Let  no  traveler  think  that  he  has  really  seen 
California,  and  knows  what  it  can  furnish  in  the  way  of 
scenery,  till  he  has  followed  the  Sacramento  river  from  its 
beginning  near  Mount  Shasta  down  as  far  at  least  as  Red 
Bluff,  where  it  begins  to  be  so  much  like  other  rivers  — 
so  orderly  and  manageable  that  it  becomes  navigable. 

The  Siskiyou  mountains  form  the  dividing  line  between 
Oregon  and  California  part  of  the  way.  Soon  after  cross- 
ing these  mountains  we  came  to  the  pillar  of  stone,  set 
up  to  show  where  Oregon  ends  and  California  begins.  Be- 
fore long  we  crossed  the  Klamath  river,  and  then  the 
Shasta,  and  were  soon  at  Yreka,  which  is  the  northern- 
most town  in  the  State.  The  name  is  not  a  corruption 
of  the  well-known  Eureka  of  the  old  Greek,  as  might  be 
supposed  from  its  resemblance,  but  is  the  name  of  a  tribe 
of  Indians  who  formerly  lived  hereabouts.  The  town  is 
situated  on  a  jilateau  four  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  is  the  center  of  quite  a  large  trade,  being 
the  place  of  interchange  between  miners  and  those  who 
furnish  their  supplies. 

Within  the  last  few  months  this  town  has  come  into 
notice  as  being  the  base  of  operations  in  the  war  carried  on 


118  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

for  six  months  or  more  between  the  United  States,  with 
their  immense  military  and  every  other  kind  of  power, 
and  about  two-score  half-starved  and  half-clothed  Modocs, 
who  made  the  lava-beds,  not  very  far  away,  their  high 
tower  and  place  of  refuge.  We  are  now  furnished  with 
a  new  clause  to  our  climax  for  Fourth  of  July  use.  We 
have  conquered  the  British,  the  Southern  rebels,  and  — 
the  Modocs! 

Poetic  justice  would  seem  to  require  that  a  hero  who 
with  a  handful  of  followers  could  keep  a  great  nation, 
with  all  its  resources,  at  bay  for  so  long  should  have  other 
reward  meted  out  to  him  than  to  be  strangled  with  a 
halter ! 

One  of  the  unpleasant  things  about  the  stage  ride  was 
the  necessity  of  traveling  by  night.  As  but  one  stage 
started  from  Portland  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  and  the 
driving  was  continvious,  there  was  no  escape  from  night 
travel.  Stopping  by  the  way  necessitated  a  twenty- four 
hours'  delay,  and  the  starting  again  at  the  same  hour  at 
which  the  stopping  occurred.  Hence  it  came  about,  "  total 
depravity"  being  inherent  in  inanimate  things  as  well  as 
some  animate,  that  the  very  places  and  things,  the  sight  of 
which  was  most  desired,  were  almost  sure  to  occur  when 
they  had  to  be  passed  in  the  night. 

In  consonance  with  this  fact,  the  nearest  point  to  Mount 
Shasta  was  passed  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  at  which 
time  we  went  within  seven  miles  of  its  base.  This  moun- 
tain is  the  crowning  glory  of  the  mountain  system  in 
northern  California.  It  is  the  memento  put  up  to  show 
the  place  where  the  two  mountain  ranges,  that  have  been 
approaching    so  long,  at   last   effect   their    union.     Mount 


NORTHERN"   CALIFORNIA.  119 

Shasta  is  fourteen  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty  feet 
high.  Until  recently  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  highest  peak 
in  the  whole  Sierra  Nevada  range,  but  late  measurements 
prove  that  Mount  Whitney  and  other  peaks  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  State  outrank  it.  But  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  of  them  excel  it  in  symmetry  of  outline  and 
beauty  of  aspect.  During  the  weeks  that  I  was  in  Van- 
couver, always  beholding  the  beauty  of  Mount  Hood,  it 
did  not  seem  that  any  other  mountain  could  surpass,  if, 
indeed,  any  could  equal  it.  But,  like  the  unfortunate 
wight  who  could  be  very  happy  with  either  were  "  t'other 
dear  charmer  away,"  as  often  as  I  saw  Mount  Shasta  I 
was  divided  in  my  allegiance.  During  the  three  or  four 
months  that  I  had  previously  spent  in  the  Upper  Sacra- 
mento valley  one  of  my  great  delights  was  watching  this 
mountain  and  seeing  it  in  all  its  different  aspects.  When 
the  sun  was  scorching  everything,  as  it  has  a  way  of  do- 
ing in  that  part  of  the  valley,  it  was  very  refreshing  to 
look  up  to  this  peak,  which,  with  its  white  garments  reach- 
ing away  down  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  had  so  cool 
and  quiet  and  placid  an  appearance.  It  seemed  like  a 
saint  that  is  lifted  above  the  strife  and  conflict  of  the 
world  by  a  serene  faith  in  the  high  and  the  pure.  Al- 
though the  mountain  was  more  than  one  hundred  miles 
from  where  I  was,  so  pure  was  the  atmosphere  that  it 
seemed  quite  near  —  so  near  that  it  would  have  been  easy 
to  believe  it  could  be  reached  "by  an  afternoon's  ride. 
Looking  at  it  from  afar  so  long  had  created  an  intense 
desire  for  a  more  intimate  acquaintance.  Yet  this  chance 
must  be  lost,  because  we  were  to  pass  the  nearest  point 
in  the  night.     As  there  was  no  help  for  this  and  no  change 


120  TWO   TEAKS    IN   CALIFORNIA. 

possible,  the  best  thing  that  could  be  done  in  the  circum- 
stances was  decided  upon.  The  lower  soda  springs  were 
only  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, so  a  stop  was  made  there,  in  order  that  a  whole  day 
could  be  spent  in  viewing  and  admiring  this  snow-capped 
mountain. 

But  here  again  this  same  "total  depravity"  of  things 
inanimate  worked  my  loss.  Waiting  and  watching  all  the 
livelong  day,  not  one  glimpse  of  the  mountain  was  vouch- 
safed to  my  longing  eyes  —  not  the  most  indistinct  vision 
of  the  outline.  An  uncomfortable  drizzle,  which  was  nei- 
ther a  good  honest  rain  nor  an  ethereal  mist  that  could 
be  looked  through,  covered  and  concealed  everything.  It 
was  an  impenetrable  veil  that  was  as  effectual  in  obscur- 
ing all  surrounding  objects  as  the  darkness  of  night  could 
possibly  be.  For  such  a  misfortune  there  was  no  remedy 
within  the  reach  of  human  might.  So  I  turned  from  the 
impossible  to  the  possible,  and  tried  to  find  out  what  I 
could  about  the  soda  springs. 

There  are  several  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  differing 
from  one  another  in  the  kind  and  degree  of  impregna- 
tion. Soda  enters  so  largely  into  the  combination  in  one 
spring  that  the  water  is  used  instead  of  yeast  or  baking- 
powder  in  the  manufacture  of  bread.  Flour  mixed  with 
it  rises  quickly  and  nicely.  Some  miners,  who  were  dig- 
ging for  gold  not  very  far  away,  had  their  cabin  near 
this  spring  on  account  of  the  convenience  of  having  this 
water  with  which  to  mix  their  bread.  In  one  of  the 
springs  the  water  is  so  strongly  impregnated  with  the  al- 
kali that  if  used  unadulterated  it  gives  the  bread  the  yel- 
lowish-green look  so  well  known  to  cooks  as  indicating  too 


NOETHERN   CALIFORNIA.  121 

generous  a  use  of  soda.  The  water  of  the  spring  most 
used  for  medicinal  purposes  is  very  pleasant  to  the  taste, 
unlike  most  mineral  waters.  There  is  a  little  acidity  in 
the  flavor  and  a  sparkle  and  freshness  that  makes  it  very 
acceptable.  The  proprietor  of  the  springs  is  a  regular 
Pike.  He  came  from  Missouri  some  twenty  years  or  more 
ago,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  He  is  some  forty-five 
years  of  age,  and  never  saw  a  steamboat  or  a  railroad  in 
his  life!  It  was  refreshing  to  see  a  man  so  totally  unso- 
phisticated—  so  unknowing  in  regard  to  the  ways  of  the 
world  —  one  who  belonged  so  thoroughly  to  a  past  age,  and 
had  so  much  to  anticipate ;  for  not  many  months  will  pass 
before  the  iron  horse  will  be  running  past  his  door,  and 
waking  the  echoes  that  have  slept  so  long  with  its  loud 
snort.  The  Sacramento  river  here  begins  its  long  journey. 
It  is  so  small  and  insignificant  that  a  man  could  almost 
leap  across  it. 

We  started  from  the  springs  in  the  early  morning,  just 
in  time  to  watch  the  signs  and  the  miracles  that  attend  the 
birth  of  a  new  day.  How  wonderful  the  sight  would  be  if 
repetition  had  not  made  it  familiar!  First,  a  faint  light 
appeared,  the  hills  flushed,  then  brightened;  soon  the  disk 
of  the  sun  came  up,  and  object  after  object  took  upon  itself 
outline  and  form;  then  darkness  fled  away  and  everything 
was  revealed.  A  new  day  had  come !  A  new  day,  and  one 
that  was  perfect!  There  was  no  flaw  anywhere  in  the  sky 
or  the  air.  This  was  some  compensation  for  the  disappoint- 
ment of  yesterday.  Mount  Shasta  looked  its  best;  it  could 
not  possibly  have  made  any  finer  appearance.  What  a 
day's  ride  that  was  which  thus  begun! 

We  passed  Castle  rocks  soon  after  starting.     These  rocks 


122  TWO   YEARS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

are  formed  by  a  spur  of  Trinity  mountain,  and  are  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Sacramento.  This  range  rises  twenty- 
five  hundred  feet  above  the  valley,  and  has  a  ragged  crest 
of  pinnacles  and  spires  of  a  grayish  color.  In  many  places 
the  rocks  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  castles,  as  we  see 
them  pictured.  Sometimes  they  looked  in  good  repair,  then 
again  they  seemed  as  though  time's  busy  fingers  had  disman- 
tled them,  and  dungeon,  warden  and  keep,  all  were  gone. 
It  did  not  require  much  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  sup- 
pose that  there  had  been  days  when  there  were  giants  in 
the  land  and  these  magnificent  castles  were  their  dwelling- 
places.  There  were  turrets,  minarets,  spires  and  belfries; 
nothing  seemed  to  be  wanting;  and  these  walls  and  battle- 
ments were  of  such  a  height  as  no  knight  in  the  olden 
time,  when  knights  were  valiant  and  daring,  ever  scaled  or 
captured. 

The  Sacramento  river,  for  the  first  hundred  miles  of  its 
course,  is  a  very  unruly  stream,  and  refuses  altogether  to 
be  navigated  by  anything.  Sometimes  it  goes  along  quietly, 
between  its  high  banks  and  under  the  shadow  of  great 
trees,  as  though  it  were  nursing  itself  and  gathering 
strength  for  some  conflict  soon  to  come;  then  it  boils  and 
bubbles  and  tosses  and  fusses  among  the  rocks  and  obstruc- 
tions that  come  in  its  way.  Sometimes  it  is  required  of  it 
to  make  its  way  through  mountain  passes,  which  it  does 
fearlessly,  leaving  banks  along  the  gorge  that  it  makes  one 
dizzy  to  look  down  from.  Having  performed  a  feat  like 
this,  it  runs  on  for  miles,  making  long  elbows  and  many 
angles,  as  though  it  were  not  in  the  least  bit  of  a  hurry, 
but  had  plenty  of  time  to  play  if  it  chose,  or  cut  up  any 
caper  that  chanced  to  come  into  its  head.     All  the  hill-sides 


NORTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  123 

and  mountains  were  covered  with  trees,  the  deciduous  ones, 
not  yet  in  "the  sear  and  yellow  leaf,"  but  arrayed  in  those 
gorgeous  dyes  which  they,  as  if  preparing  for  their  apothe- 
osis, assume  before  their  departure.  There  were  enough 
evergreens  among  them  to  answer  for  a  background,  of 
which  the  deciduous  trees  were  the  foil  and  ornamentation. 
With  every  variety  of  surface,  hill,  dell,  mountain  and 
valley,  abrupt  peaks,  shaggy  and  awful,  gorges  deep  and 
mysterious,  each  change  coming  without  preparation,  and 
often  without  anything  to  give  even  the  keynote  to  the 
approaching  entertainment, —  it  was  a  day  of  gracious  sur- 
prises and  the  most  intense  enjoyment.  Then,  in  the  dis- 
tance was  always  Mount  Shasta,  grand  and  lonely,  with  its 
head  and  sides  covered  with  snow  away  down  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  see.  The  clear  sun  shining  upon  it  made  it 
almost  too  glittering  for  the  eye.  Sometimes  there  were 
clouds  resting  midway  between  the  top  and  the  base,  while 
the  summit  loomed  up  clear  and  bright  above  all  the  mists 
and  obscurities. 

"When  the  day  was  waning  and  the  light  already  so 
dim  that  surrounding  objects  were  to  some  extent  obscure, 
we  came  near  to  some  high  hills  or  mountains  that  were 
very  striking  in  their  appearance.  They  were  white  and 
destitute  of  vegetation.  We  saw  them  for  a  long  time; 
for,  in  going  through  a  canon,  in  order  to  avoid  going 
over  them,  the  road  made  almost  their  entire  circuit.  Pro- 
fessor Whitney  describes  them  as  "  the  Gray  mountains, 
sometimes  called  the  Marble  mountains,  a  range  that 
stretches  along  the  east  end  of  the  Cloud  river.  Some 
of  the  points  are  three  thousand  feet  high."  When  the 
railroad  reaches  them,  and  transportation  becomes  possible, 

6* 


124  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

these  mountains,  or  considerable  parts  of  them,  will  proba- 
bly go  to  San  Francisco,  to  make  marble  fronts  for  banks 
and  up-town  residences,  where  millionaires  will  hold  their 
courts  and  keep  Chinese  boarding-houses  in  their  kitchens ! 

Darkness  covered  the  land  before  we  came  to  Pitt  river, 
which  we  crossed  in  a  ferry-boat.  This  stream  rises  on 
the  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  coming  out  of 
the  southern  end  of  Goose  lake  with  quite  a  parade  of 
noise  and  confusion.  It  has  enough  force,  by  the  time  it 
gets  to  them,  to  make  its  way  through  the  mountains,  and 
then  flows  in  a  southeast  direction  till  it  unites  with  the 
Sacramento,  to  which  it  not  only  gives  itself,  but,  woman- 
like, its  name  also,  although  much  the  larger  river  of  the 
two,  imitating,  in  this  respect,  the  illustrious  example  of 
the  Missouri,  which  yields  its  title  and  its  individuality  to 
the  lesser  Mississippi.  We  crossed  the  Pitt  river  not  far 
from  its  junction  with  the  Sacramento.  Although  not  very 
wide,  it  is  said  to  be  absolutely  unfathomable.  With  a 
courageous  moon,  that  was  full  and  evidently  determined 
to  do  its  best  to  make  up  for  the  absence  of  the  sun,  our 
ride  continued  to  be  pleasant  far  into  the  night.  A  soft 
glamour  was  cast  over  everything;  outlines  were  revealed, 
and  the  imagination  allowed  to  fill  in  as  it  chose.  The 
country  is  such  as  is  generally  found  skirting  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains.  It  is  but  little  broken,  and  much  of 
it  is  entirely  level,  with  grand  old  oaks  scattered  here  and 
there,  as  though  nature  had  undertaken  to  show  what  was 
the  highest  type  of  a  landscape  garden. 

The  road  was  smooth  and  good,  and  we  traveled  on 
without  let  or  hindrance.  The  only  decided  sensation  ex- 
perienced was  when  we  drew  near  to  a  spot  about  twenty 


NORTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  125 

miles  north  of  Red  Bluff,  where  the  stage  had  been  robbed 
thrice  within  a  short  time.  It  is  a  point  where  the  road 
from  Shasta  comes  into  the  one  on  which  we  were  travel- 
ing, and  the  gold  brought  over  both  routes  is  put  into 
the  same  coach.  The  robbers  had,  in  all  three  cases,  been 
careful  of  the  feelings  and  convenience  of  the  white  pas- 
sengers, and  had  not  molested  them,  being  satisfied  with 
taking  the  express-boxes  and  relieving  the  Chinamen,  when 
there  were  any,  of  their  sui'plus  capital.  But  it  was  not 
certain  that  such  a  state  of  mind  was  immutable  among 
the  robbers,  and  it  was  not  quite  pleasant  to  be  at  the 
mercy  of  the  whims  and  oddities  of  men  so  lawless  and 
irresponsible.  However,  being  by  a  chronic  fatality  a  mem- 
ber of  that  class  of  travelers  who  are  proverbially  easy 
coram  latronibus,  the  quiet  of  the  occasion  was  not  greatly 
disturbed,  at  least  in  the  case  of  the  individual  whose  wel- 
fare was  nearest  the  heart  of  the  writer.  The  dangerous 
place  was  passed  in  safety,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  drew  up  at  the  Tremont  House  in  Red  Bluff. 

Our  stage-ride  was  over;  the  railroad  was  now  at  our 
service.  That  there  was  fatigue  connected  with  the  ride 
was  beyond  dispute,  but  there  had  been  ample  compensa- 
tion for  all  unpleasantness  in  the  increased  acquaintance 
with  the  country  and  the  enjoyment  in  seeing  much  that 
was  strange  and  beautiful. 

Mount  Shasta  deserves  a  fuller  description.  Standing 
as  it  does,  with  its  head  not  much  less  than  three  miles 
above  the  valley  in  which  it  is  situated,  it  looks  even 
higher  than  it  is  because  of  its  isolation.  There  is  no 
other  peak  near;  it  stands  solitary  and  alone,  the  crowned 
"monarch  of  all  it  surveys."      The  ascent  of  the  mount- 


126  TWO   YEAKS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

ain  is  difficult,  but  not  hazardous.  At  the  base  the 
mountain  is  covered  with  trees,  which  continue  to  grow 
until  the  altitude  of  from  four  to  seven  thousand  feet  is 
reached.  Some  of  these  trees  are  immense  pines  six  feet 
in  diameter  and  two  hundred  feet  high.  The  sugar  pine 
is  the  grandest  of  them  all.  After  reaching  the  height  of 
eight  thousand  feet  these  large  trees  gradually  disappear, 
but  there  is  a  species  of  pine  that  continues  to  grow  for 
still  another  thousand  feet.  After  that  there  are  no  signs 
of  vegetation  except  the  red  snow. 

Quite  recently  a  weather-signal  has  been  erected  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountain,  under  the  direction  of  the  Federal 
Coast  Survey. 


KANCH    IN   THE    UPPER   SACEAMESTTO   VALLEY.      127 

CHAPTER   IX. 

A   EANCH    I2f   THE    UPPER   SACRAMENTO   VALLEY. 

DESCENDING  from  generals  to  particulars  sometimes 
clears  our  ideas.  The  mind  interests  itself  more 
readily  in  and  takes  more  kindly  to  an  individual  than  a 
species.  Instead,  therefore,  of  a  general  description  of  the 
Upper  Sacramento  valley,  a  particular  account  of  a  ranch 
will  be  given.  As  the  writer  spent  three  or  four  months 
upon  a  certain  one,  there  was  opportunity  to  become  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  minutiae  of  its  management. 
These  California  ranches,  consisting,  as  they  often  do,  of 
many  thousands  of  acres,  are  conducted  on  a  scale  of  mag- 
nificence that  would  quite  astonish  practical  farmers  in 
other  parts  of  the  country. 

'  The  word  ranch  is  a  memento  of  the  early  Spanish 
occupancy.  There  are  many  of  these  reminders  all  over 
the  land.  The  names  of  mountains,  towns  and  rivers  are 
frequently  derived  from  the  same  language.  Oftentimes 
they  are  corrupted  by  English  use,  as  is  the  case  of  this 
one,  which  is  a  hybrid,  but,  as  such,  current  everywhere, 
together  with  its  derivatives.  Farm-hands  are  called 
ranchmen.  A  man  is  ranching  horses  when  he  takes 
them  to  pasture. 

The  ranch  in  question  is  located  in  the  Sacramento 
valley,  near  Red  Bluff,  which  is  at  the  head  of  navigation 
on  the  Sacramento.  It  is  in  Tehama  county,  on  the  east 
side   of  the  river.     The    ranch  was    originally  a  Spanish 


128  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

grant,  but  had  passed  tlu'ough  two  or  three  hands  before 
coming  into  the  possession  of  the  present  owner.  It  con- 
tains sixteen  thousand  acres,  in  all  of  which  there  is  scarcely 
a  rod  of  waste  land.  The  valley  here,  as  elsewhere,  reaches 
from  mountain  range  to  mountain  range  —  from  the  Sierra 
Nevada  on  the  east  to  the  Coast  Range  on  the  west,  and 
is  at  this  point  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  wide.  Both, 
ranges  of  mountains  can  be  clearly  seen  in  the  winter 
and  early  spring,  when  the  atmosphere,  purified  by  the 
rains,  is  transparent,  reaching  up  their  snow-cajDped  heads 
to  the  skies,  making  it  oftentimes  difficult  to  tell  where  the 
mountain  leaves  off  and  the  heavens  begin.  As  the  sea- 
son advances  the  snow  melts  from  all  the  peaks  except 
Lassen's  Butte  and  Mount  Shasta.  This  last  mountain 
is  the  loftiest  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  being  over 
fourteen  thousand  feet  in  height.  Although  it  is  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  north  of  Red  Bluff,  looking  at  it 
through  the  clear  atmosphere  it  seems  to  be  a  near  neigh- 
bor, and  it  would  be  easy  to  believe  that  a  pleasant  morn- 
ing-ride would  take  one  to  it.  It  is  a  grand  and  refreshing 
sight  on  a  summer's  day  to  view  its  cool  and  quiet  de- 
meanor as  it  looms  up  in  the  distance,  clad  in  purest 
white  away  down  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see,  its  head  serenely 
lifted  above  the  heat  and  dust  that  oppress  and  envelop 
all  below  it.  "  Like  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land,"  it 
seems  to  invite  all  to  come  and  take  refuge  beneath  its 
shadow. 

There  exists  in  this  locality  a  peculiarity  which  is  often 
observable  among  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains.  The  land  is  neither  timber-land  nor  prairie, 
but   is    park-like,    there    being    scattered    here    and  there 


RANCH   IN  THE   UPPER  SACRAMENTO   VALLEY.      129 

the  grandest  oaks  that  ever  delighted  the  eye  or  made 
glad  the  heart.  They  have  the  graceful  sweep  of  the  New 
England  elm  and  the  magnificent  size  that  the  rich  soil  of 
California  enables  them  to  attain.  There  is  now  and  then 
a  live-oak  to  be  seen  among  them,  as  if  to  make  a  little 
variety.  The  trees  are  not  so  thick  as  to  be  serious  impedi- 
menta in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  which  is  often  car- 
ried on  without  felling  them.  There  seems  to  be  good 
reason  for  the  opinion  that  this  whole  Sacramento  valley 
was  once  a  vast  lake,  inclosed  between  the  two  ranges  of 
mountains.  Some  great  convulsion,  of  which  there  was 
no  witness,  or  at  least  none  remaining  to  tell  the  tale, 
opened  the  Golden  Gate  in  the  Coast  Range  and  let  the 
waters  flow  out  until  none  remained  except  in  the  more 
depressed  parts,  and  then  there  remained  but  the  valley 
and  the  river. 

The  ranch  extends  about  four  miles  along  the  river. 
The  abundance  of  water  which  it  possesses  is  one  of  its 
best  peculiarities.  There  is  not  a  field  in  the  whole  ranch 
through  which  there  does  not  run  a  living  stream.  These 
rivulets  come  down  from  the  mountains  through  canons 
in  the  foot-hills,  growing  in  size  as  they  run  along  till  they 
get  to  the  valley,  when  they  wind  about  here  and  there 
gladdening  the  earth  and  giving  drink  to  the  thirsty  cattle 
as  they,  rejoicing,  go  on  their  way  to  seek  the  river. 
There  is  a  flouring-mill  of  large  capacity  on  the  ranch, 
the  wheels  of  which  are  kept  running  by  a  never-failing 
supply  of  water  furnished  by  one  of  these  streams. 

Between  three  and  four  thousand  acres  are  sown  with 
wheat  and  barley.  The  machinery  used  in  harvesting  the 
grain  woi-ks  so  fast  that  twelve  hundred  bushels  of  wheat, 


130  TWO   YEARS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

that  in  the  morning  hold  their  golden  heads  erect  in  the 
field,  in  the  evening  find  themselves  tied  up  in  sacks  ready 
for  the  mill. 

The  grain  is  cut  with  "headers,"  which  are  driven 
through  the  field,  and  cut  the  stalks  about  six  inches  below 
the  head.  Each  header  is  accompanied  with  a  train  of 
three  header  wagons.  The  wagon  is  built  with  one  low 
side,  and  is  driven  along  with  this  side  so  close  to  the  header 
that  the  grain  is  thrown  into  it  as  fast  as  it  is  cut.  When 
one  wagon  is  filled  another  is  driven  up,  which  in  turn 
gives  place  to  another,  and  so  on  in  perpetual  rotation. 
These  header  wagons  take  the  grain  directly  to  the  steam 
thresher,  which  is  driven  about  to  convenient  places  in  the 
field.  The  whole  process  of  threshing,  cleaning,  etc.,  is 
gone  through  with  on  the  spot,  and  the  grain  is  at  once  put 
into  sacks.  The  wheat  is  so  dry  that  no  process  or  delay  is 
required  to  prepare  it  for  the  market.  Being  put  into 
sacks,  it  is  left  on  the  field  a  nionth  or  more  if  need  be, 
until  it  is  entirely  convenient  to  make  some  other  disposi- 
tion of  it.  There  is  no  danger  of  a  sudden  shower  to 
occasion  hurry  in  getting  in  the  grain.  There  is  no  fear 
of  rain  before  the  farmers'  eyes  all  through  the  summer 
months.  Monsieur  "  Probs "  would  have  an  easy  berth  of 
it  in  that  region.  The  sky  never  leaks  in  harvest  time. 
Fifty  acres  per  diem  is  the  average  amount  cut  through  the 
entire  season  of  harvest.  To  carry  on  these  operations  a 
force  of  forty  horses  and  about  thirty  men  is  required. 

The  process  of  putting  in  the  grain  is  managed  as 
follows.  Plowing  is  commenced  as  soon  as  the  rain  begins 
to  fall.  This  does  not  occur  until  late  in  November,  or 
oftener   in  December.     Fifty  horses   or   mules  and   about 


,^^'  ^^- 


EL  CAPITAN.      (3.300  feet  high.) 
Pages  212  and  215. 


RANCH  IN  THE  UPPER  SACRAMENTO  VALLEY.   131 

twenty  men  are  employed  from  that  time  until  March, 
clearing  the  fields,  plowing,  sowing,  harrowing  and  going 
through  with  the  various  processes  connected  with  plant- 
ing. All  of  the  machinery  and  implements  are  of  the  best. 
The  old-fashioned  plow,  that  a  man  was  compelled  to  hold 
fast  with  both  hands  in  order  to  make  it  "  toe  the  mark,"  is 
altogether  discarded  in  this  enterprising  and  progressive 
country.  No  plow  is  used  that  does  not  at  least  cut  two 
furrows,  and  many  cut  three.  Buggy  and  sulky  plows,  in 
which  a  man  may  ride  in  a  very  gentlemanly  way,  are  in 
use,  and  they  often  cost  one  hundred  dollars.  From  four 
to  six,  and  sometimes  even  eight,  horses  or  mules  are 
attached  to  each.  When  a  half-dozen  of  these  teams  are 
driven  in  at  noon  or  night,  and  released  from  harness,  they 
easily  suggest  the  disbanding  of  a  small  army.  The  plow- 
ing does  not  always  cease  with  the  putting  in  of  the  grain. 
Hundreds  of  acres  are  plowed  so  as  to  be  ready  for  sowing 
before  the  fall  rains  begin.  This  is  called  "summer 
fallowing,"  and  is  the  surest  way  to  secure  a  good  crop. 
These  fields  are  "cultivated  in;"  that  is,  the  grain  is  put 
in  with  a  cultivator,  which  can  be  done  at  any  time  during 
the  summer  or  fall,  when  convenience  makes  it  desirable; 
for  nothing  will  harm  the  grain  while  it  lies  on  the 
ground.  It  stays  there,  safe  and  sound,  waiting  for  the 
rain  that  will  come  in  the  late  autumn  and  make  it  spring 
up.  It  will  then  have  the  whole  period  of  the  rains  in 
which  to  grow,  and  by  the  time  they  are  over  it  is  too  far 
advanced  toward  maturity  to  be  harmed  by  their  discon- 
tinuance. As  the  rains  sometimes  delay  their  coming  until 
late  in  December,  where  so  much  ground  is  to  be  plowed,  it 
is  difficult  to  plant  all  the  grain  in  the  ordinary  way  in 


132  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

time  for  it  to  pass  beyond  the  danger  from  drought  before 
the  rains  cease.  Oftentimes  a  field  is  "  cultivated  in  "  after 
harvest,  without  replowing,  and  a  very  good  crop  secured. 

Labor  is  expensive.  Men  receive  thirty  dollars  per 
month  and  board  for  ordinary  service.  In  haying  and 
harvest  time  there  is  an  advance  upon  this  price  of  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  per  cent.  At  these  prices  men  are 
plentiful,  though  they  are  not  the  best  specimens  of  the 
article.  Many  of  them  are  men  who  have  been  worth  their 
thousands  of  dollars,  made  in  the  mines;  but  by  some  move 
of  the  capricious  goddess  their  dollars  have  vanished,  and 
they  are  compelled  to  work  for  their  daily  bread.  "  Jail- 
birds," too,  not  unfrequently  light  upon  the  ranch  and 
remain  stationary  for  awhile. 

The  supply  of  laborers  is  generally  quite  equal  to  the 
demand,  and  sometimes  considerably  exceeds  it.  No  ar- 
rangements are  made  for  lodging  them.  Each  one  fur- 
nishes himself  with  a  pair  of  blankets,  which  he  carries 
about  with  him,  and  he  has  a  wide  range  for  selecting  a 
place  where  he  will  spread  them  and  lie  down  to  his  rest. 
The  barn,  the  tool-house,  the  blacksmith  shop,  the  granary, 
are  all  open  to  him,  and  he  can  decide  where  to  choose  at 
his  leisure.  If  none  of  these  places  suit  him,  he  can  lie 
down  under  the  spreading  branches  of  an  oak  and  have  the 
sky  for  his  coverlet. 

On  this  ranch  the  men  have  their  quarters  in  a  house  at 
a  little  distance  from  that  of  their  employer,  where  a  China- 
man, hired  for  the  purpose,  prepares  and  dispenses  meat  and 
drink.  Five  hundred  tons  of  hay  are  cut  in  a  season.  This 
hay  is  not  timothy  or  clover,  but  wild  oats,  which  grow  lux- 
uriantly in  all  the  region.     No  preparation  of  the  field  is 


RANCH    IN   THE    UPPER    SACRAMENTO   VALLEY.      133 

necessary,  no  plowing,  no  sowing;  the  oats  grow  of  their 
own  accord,  and  ask  no  pay  for  doing  so.  Even  though  a 
field  may  have  been  tilled  for  years,  if  it  is  left  vacant  for 
a  season,  instead  of  growing  up  to  weeds  and  briars,  as  is 
the  naughty  fashion  in  less  favored  lands,  wild  oats,  which 
seem  to  have  been  lying  in  wait  all  the  time,  are  ready  to 
spring  up  and  offer  a  fine  harvest  of  hay  of  the  best  qual- 
ity. The  oats  are  cut  before  the  grain  is  ripe  enough  to 
shell  out  in  handling.  Before  the  country  was  settled  and 
the  land  brought  under  cultivation  these  wild  oats  grew 
everywhere  very  luxuriantly,  thus  furnishing  such  pasture 
for  sheep  and  cattle  as  is  not  often  found. 

Six  hundred  head  of  cattle  board  themselves  on  the 
broad  acres  in  parts  of  the  ranch  not  under  cultivation. 
These  cattle  require  no  attention  in  summer  or  winter, 
except  that  two  men,  called  vacqueros,  a  Spanish  word 
meaning  herdsman,  are  employed  to  ride  around  and  see 
that  they,  in  common  with  the  hogs  and  horses,  behave 
themselves  with  a  due  regard  to  propriety;  that  they  throw 
down  no  fences  and  break  into  no  fields.  There  are  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  miles  of  fence  on  the  ranch. 

Twelve  hundred  hogs  find  themselves  subject  to  the  in- 
exorable law,  "  Root,  hog,  or  —  die!"  They  are  most  un- 
gainly, villainous -looking  creatures.  They  have  not  the 
fear  of  man  nor  any  other  fear  before  their  eyes.  They 
have  evidently  come  from  ancestors  that  were  accustomed 
to  look  out  for  number  one.  They  abound  in  that  valua- 
ble quality,  self-reliance,  which  makes  them  desirable.  The 
smooth,  unctious,  aristocratic-looking  Chester  whites  are 
not  tolerated  on  the  ranch.  They  were  tried  and  found 
wanting  in  the  tact  and  energy  needful  for  digging  soap- 


134  TWO   YEARS   IK   CALIFORNIA. 

root  and  other  esculents  hidden  in  the  ground,  as  well 
as  in  a  general  understanding  of  the  ways  and  means  of 
taking  care  of  themselves.  These  hogs  are  driven  in  from 
the  fields  and  slaughtered  for  the  market  without  any  pre- 
liminaiy  feeding  by  way  of  preparation.  They  are  brought 
from  their  range  in  the  green  fields,  and  without  warning 
hurried  to  their  fate. 

Fourteen  thousand  sheep,  under  the  care  of  shepherds, 
crop  the  grass  at  their  leisure,  and  at  no  season  of  the  year 
require  shelter  or  feeding.  There  is  a  shepherd  for  each 
two  thousand  sheep.  He  keeps  an  eye  on  them  during  the 
day  to  see  that  they  do  not  wander  away,  and  at  night 
gathers  them  into  a  corral,  or  some  protected  place,  near 
which  he  sleeps  in  a  tent  or  cabin.  These  sheep  are  not 
expected  to  be  all  pastured  on  the  ranch.  A  part  are  kept 
on  unoccupied  lands,  and  in  the  summer,  when  the  pas- 
tures wither  and  dry  up  for  want  of  rain,  they  are  driven 
to  the  mountains,  where  they  are  watched  and  cared  for 
by  the  shepherds. 

Sheep-growing  is  a  very  profitable  business  in  this  re- 
gion. The  increase  is  very  rapid;  from  eighty  to  one  hun- 
dred per  cent,  per  annum  being  safely  calculated  upon, 
with  good  care.  With  wool  at  present  prices  sheep  easily 
net  two  dollars  per  head.  In  this  part  of  the  State  it  is 
customary  to  shear  twice  in  the  year;  the  first  time  in 
April,  the  second  in  August.  The  fall  clip  averages  from 
half  to  two-thirds  as  much  as  the  spring. 

No  kind  of  animal  is  ever  sheltered  or  fed  except  the 
working  horses.  These  are  kept  on  barley  and  hay.  Be- 
tween three  and  four  thousand  bushels  of  barley  are  fed 
in  a  season.     No  Indian  corn  is  raised,  except  for  table  use, 


RANCH   IN"   THE   UPPER   SACRAMENTO    VALLEY.       135 

and  that  is  irrigated,  as  indeed  all  the  garden  and  orchard 
must  be.  The  rains  cease  too  early  for  these  products  to  be 
matured  without  artificial  irrigation.  No  potatoes  are 
raised;  the  supply  is  bought  in  Red  Bluff,  and  is  generally 
brought  thither  from  Oregon.  Although  so  many  cattle 
roam  over  the  pastures,  not  a  pound  of  butter  is  made  on 
the  ranch;  that,  also,  is  bought  in  Red  Bluff.  A  single 
cow  furnishes  milk  for  family  use.  By  so  much  is  this 
household  better  off  than  many  others,  for  oftentimes, 
while  hundreds  of  cattle  are  raised  and  kept  on  the  ranch, 
coffee  and  tea  are  drunk  unblessed  with  cream. 

The  winters  are  very  pleasant.  Although  there  is  more 
rain  than  farther  south,  there  are  many  days,  and  some- 
times even  weeks,  in  succession  when  there  is  but  little  or 
none,  when  the  sky  is  clear,  the  sun  bright,  and  the  air 
pure  and  exhilarating.  But  in  summer  the  heat  is  in- 
tense. The  mercury  goes  up  to  112°,  115°,  and  even  to 
118°  and  120°  in  the  shade.  The  women  and  children,  and 
all  that  can,  migrate  to  cooler  regions.  Many  persons 
have  summer-houses  in  the  mountains,  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  away,  to  which  they  flee  for  comfort  and  safety. 
Others  go  to  "  the  bay,"  as  they  always  say  in  speaking  of 
San  Francisco,  and  remain  there  through  the  two  or  three 
hottest  months.  The  intense  heat  and  luxuriant  vegeta- 
tion have  the  effect  to  produce  malaria,  which  generates 
chills  and  fevers.  These  ailments  are  not  at  all  uncommon 
in  this  region. 


136  TWO   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER    X. 

A   FRUIT   RANCH   ON   THE   SACRAMENTO   RIVER. 

THE  fruit  of  California  is  now  known  of  all  men,  and 
women  too,  at  least  in  our  own  country ;  but  all  do  not 
know  it  in  its  best  estate.  Most  varieties  are  not  im- 
proved by  age.  To  appreciate  its  delicate  flavors  and  sweet 
lusciousness,  it  must  be  eaten  where  it  grows,  and  tasted 
not  long  after  it  has  left  its  parent  stem. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  spend  several  weeks  upon  a 
ranch  that  is  esteemed  one  of  the  best  in  the  State  for 
fruit-growing.  I  thought  myself  happy  to  be  there,  not 
once  only,  but  thrice  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
have  therefore  had  a  chance  to  make  myself  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  various  operations  by  which  such  a 
ranch  is  carried  on. 

One  of  these  visits  occurred  in  the  delectable  season  of 
the  vintage.  Shall  I  ever  forget  those  delicious  black  Ham- 
burg grapes?  The  white  muscats  commend  themselves  to 
the  taste  of  many,  and  gain  their  preference;  but  as  for 
me,  give  me  Hamburgers,  black,  juicy  and  rich,  and  I 
will  let  who  will  have  the  others.  The  only  fault  I  have 
to  find  with  them  is,  they  tempt  too  strongly  to  over-in- 
dulgence. 

The  ranch  in  question  is  situated  on  the  Sacramento 
river,  about  a  score  of  miles  below  the  renowned  city  of 
that  name.  The  land  lying  along  the  river  between  Sac- 
ramento and  San  Francisco  is  considered  as  good  as  any 


FRUIT   RANCH   ON  THE   SACRAMENTO   RIVER.       137 

in  the  State  for  fruit- raising,  and  is  principally  devoted 
to  that  purpose.  The  river  afifects  the  soil  for  about  forty 
rods  back  from  the  bank,  so  that  to  that  extent  the  fruit 
never  fails  from  want  of  moisture.  On  the  east  side  of 
the  stream  a  levee  protects  the  country  from  the  overflow 
of  its  waters,  from  which  there  was  formerly  so  much  in- 
convenience and  loss. 

San  Francisco  is  the  market  for  the  fruit,  as  well  as  all 
the  other  products  of  these  ranches.  Nothing  is  ever  car- 
ried to  Sacramento,  though  so  near. 

The  large  boats  that  ply  between  that  place  and  San 
Francisco  make  but  few  landings,  and  do  scarcely  any  of 
the  way  business.  Two  small  sized  steamers  come  up  and 
go  down  on  alternate  days,  and  do  a  sort  of  general  car- 
rying trade.  They  go  from  ranch  to  ranch  gathering  up 
the  baskets  and  boxes  filled  with  fruit,  and  leaving  the 
empty  ones  that  are  sent  back  by  the  consignees.  Cross- 
ing the  river  diagonally  is  about  all  the  headway  gained 
sometimes  for  miles.  As  many  as  five  thousand  packages 
are  handled  by  the  men  on  these  boats  during  a  single 
trip,  and  the  average  number  is  about  three  thousand. 

Apples,  pears  and  grapes  are  shipped  in  boxes;  most 
other  kinds  of  fruit  are  sent  in  baskets.  In  this  shape 
they  are  consigned  to  dealers  in  San  Francisco,  who,  of 
course,  have  a  percentage  on  the  sales.  The  baskets  and 
boxes  are  returned  when  emptied,  as  a  general  rule. 
Sometimes,  in  exceptional  cases,  the  fruit  is  sold  in  and 
with  that  which  contains  it. 

The  ranch  which  is  the  subject  of  this  writing  was 
bought  some  fifteen  years  ago  by  the  present  owner  at  a 
cost  of  fifty-five  hundred  dollars.      It  was  at  the  time  of 


138  TAVO   YEAKS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

purchase  partially  cultivated,  and  had  beginnings  of  a  fruit 
orchard  upon  it.  It  contains  one  section  of  land  —  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  The  entire  river  frontage,  about 
sixty  acres,  is  in  fruit.  Of  this,  fifteen  acres  are  in  grapes 
and  seven  in  pears;  the  remainder  is  divided  between 
apples,  apricots,  cherries,  plums,  peaches  and  figs.  The 
annual  income  of  the  ranch  for  the  last  few  years  has 
been  from  eight  to  twelve  thousand  dollars  clear  of  all 
expenses. 

Pears  are  the  first  fruit  sent  to  market.  These  are 
dispatched  the  last  of  May,  and  those  sent  earliest  command 
large  prices,  sometimes  reaching  as  high  as  twelve  cents 
per  pound.  The  Madeline  pear  is  the  earliest;  it  is  a 
ver}''  poor  excuse  for  a  pear,  and  later  in  the  season  would 
not  sell  at  any  price.  A  box  of  pears  contains  forty  pounds. 
About  two  thousand  boxes  of  this  fruit  are  sent  to  market 
in  a  season,  which  bring  an  average  price  of  one  dollar 
and  seventy-five  cents  per  box.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
baskets  of  plums  are  sold  at  one  dollar  per  basket.  One 
hundred  baskets  of  figs  at  from  seventy-five  cents  to  one 
dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  basket.  Fifty  boxes  of  quinces 
at  an  average  of  one  dollar  per  box;  and  three  thousand 
boxes  of  apples  at  an  average  of  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  box.  The  receipts  for  cherries  amounted  to 
five  hundred  dollars.  The  vineyard  furnished  fifteen 
hundred  boxes  of  grapes,  the  black  Hamburgs  averaging 
one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  box,  and  the  white  muscats 
two  dollars.  There  were  more  than  twice  as  many  muscats 
produced  than  there  were  Hamburgs. 

This  is  the  product  of  the  sixty  acres  of  river  frontage. 
There  are  five  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  to  be  used 


FRUIT   RANCH   ON   THE   SACRAMENTO   RIVEK.       139 

for  other  purposes.  From  this  amount  two  hundred  must 
be  subtracted  for  tule  lands,  one-half  of  which  is  a  lake, 
the  water  being  too  deep  for  the  tule  to  grow.  Once  or 
twice  since  the  present  owner  has  been  in  possession,  the 
year  being  exceptionally  dry,  the  lake  has  been  so  low 
that  the  ground  has  been  cultivated.  The  soil  is  unsur- 
passed in  richness.  Such  quantities  of  melons  as  were 
grown  on  a  small  extent  of  space,  and  vegetables  in  such 
numbers  and  in  such  multitudes,  that  it  would  strain  the 
faith  of  any  who  were  uninitiated  to  believe.  A  system 
of  drainage  is  all  that  is  needed  to  convert  these  tule 
lands  into  the  richest  and  most  productive  soil. 

The  residue  of  the  ranch  is  devoted  to  dairy  purposes. 
There  are  kept  upon  it  about  forty  cows,  from  which  there 
is  a  yield  of  one  hundred  pounds  of  butter  per  week. 
This  is  sent  to  San  Francisco,  where  it  is  sold  at  the 
average  price  of  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  per  pound. 
The  cows  are  not  housed  in  winter,  though  they  are  fed 
a  part  of  the  time.  There  are  fifty  acres  of  alfalfa,  or 
Chili  clover,  which  is  a  species  of  lucern.  This  is  won- 
derfully productive.  The  cattle  are  allowed  to  feed  upon  it 
from  November  until  May,  when  they  are  turned  off,  and 
after  that  three  crops  are  cut  for  hay,  one  crop  being 
permitted  to  stand  until  the  seed  is  ripe.  This  seed  com- 
mands a  ready  sale  in  the  market,  and  averages  the  owner 
about  five  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  About  five  hun- 
dred dollars'  worth  of  beef  is  sold  annually,  the  cattle 
bringing  thirty-five  dollars   per  head. 

Of  course,  the  master  does  not  sleep  while  these  pro- 
cesses go  on.  He  is  a  prompt  and  attentive  business  man. 
and  everything  is  kept  up  to  the  mark;   but  his  is  a  life 


140  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

wonderfully  free  from  anxiety  and  that  kind  of  fluctuating 
between  hope  and  fear  that  is  so  wearing.  There  never 
has  been  a  failure  of  crop,  and  apparently  there  is  no 
danger  of  it.  As  long  as  the  blessed  sunshine  comes  to 
give  richness  to  the  pear  and  sweetness  to  the  grape,  so 
long  will  the  harvest  be  gathered  in. 

None  but  Chinamen  are  employed  on  the  ranch.  The 
owner  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  other  laborers, 
because  he  finds  in  these  faithfulness  and  obedience  —  quali- 
ties which  he  looks  for  in  vain  in  any  other  race.  From 
six  to  ten  Chinamen  are  kept  at  work  all  the  time.  In  the 
season  of  gathering  the  fruit  this  force  is  sometimes 
doubled.  In  the  winter  time  —  winter  by  courtesy  —  they 
plow,  prune,  graft  and  transplant.  There  is  no  suspension 
of  operations  on  account  of  frozen  ground  or  inclement 
weather,  though,  of  course,  there  is  occasionally  a  rainy 
day  when  nothing  can  be  done.  One  of  the  Chinamen 
has  been  employed  six  or  seven  years,  and  acts  as  inter- 
preter and  foreman.  The  laborers  receive  twenty-eight 
or  thirty  dollars  per  month  and  board  themselves. 

The  statement  of  a  fact  will  show  to  what  extent  the 
owner  of  this  ranch  trusts  the  Chinamen  in  his  employ. 
Three  years  ago  he  went  east  twice;  the  first  time  in 
March,  to  accompany  his  family  on  a  visit  to  their  old 
home  in  Ohio.  In  September  he  went  again  to  bring  them 
back,  and  each  time  he  was  gone  six  weeks.  During  both 
absences  he  left  the  Chinamen  in  charge  on  his  ranch. 
The  whole  business  was  in  their  hands.  They  gathered 
and  shipped  the  fruit  and  attended  to  whatever  was  needed. 
Of  course,  as  the  fruit  was  consigned,  there  was  nothing 
to  be  done  in  the  way  of  making  sales.     When  the  mas- 


FRUIT   RANCH   ON   THE   SACRAMENTO   RIVER.       141 

ter  returned  he  found  everything  in  a  satisfactory  condi- 
tion. The  Chinamen  had  been  faithful  to  the  charge  they 
had  to  keep. 

This  ranch  is  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Golden  Gate, 
and  both  the  wind  and  tide  reach  it  and  affect  the  situa- 
tion. There  is  enough  of  the  influence  of  the  trade-winds 
during  the  summer  to  counteract  the  intense  heat  of  the 
sun,  and  it  is  very  seldom  uncomfortably  hot.  Here,  as 
almost  everywhere  in  California,  the  nights  are  cool  and 
delightful. 


142  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER  XL 

A    CHAPTER    FOR    TOURISTS. 

THERE  is  a  time  for  all  things  under  the  sun.  If 
this  is  true  as  a  general  proposition,  it  is  emphat- 
ically so  when  applied  to  a  visit  to  California.  A  very  little 
rehearsing  of  the  climatic  conditions  will  show  the  rea- 
sons. 

By  courtesy  the  rains  are  said  to  begin  in  November, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  seldom  more  than  a 
few  showers  in  that  month,  which  barely  sufiice  to  lay  the 
dust  for  a  few  days. 

Rain  sufficient  to  start  vegetation  cannot  be  depended 
upon  until  December  has  well  advanced.  Two  or  three 
weeks  thereafter  greenness  begins  to  creep  over  the  hill- 
sides, and  the  earth  puts  on  its  spring  attire.  Again, 
there  is  seldom  much  rain  after  April  is  past.  A  few 
showers  come  in  May,  occasionally,  but  not  enough  for 
vegetation  to  hold  its  own  against  the  sun. 

Sahara  is  not  drier  and  more  desert-like  than  are  parts 
of  California  after  three,  four,  five  and  six  months  have 
passed,  during  which  a  clear,  unchecked  sun  has  been 
shining  upon  the  thirsty  land,  drying  up  the  juices  of 
plants  and  extracting  every  particle  of  moisture  from  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  and  down  below  the  surface  as  far 
as  the  heat  can  penetrate.  The  dust  becomes  something 
fearful,  and  any  kind  of  wheeled  vehicle  stirs  it  up  and 
so  puts  it  in  motion  that  riding  is  a  pleasure  to  be  en- 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  143 

joyed  at  the  risk  of  suffocation,  or  at  least  of  a  near  ap- 
proach to  it. 

Whoever,  therefore,  would  see  the  country  in  its  best 
estate  must  do  so  between  say  the  latter  part  of  January 
and  the  end  of  April.  Every  day  after  the  last  date  will 
detract  from  its  beauty,  and  be  so  much  subtracted  from 
the  admiration  and  enjoyment  that  its  meridian  glory 
would  occasion. 

There  is  no  part  of  California,  no  place  in  it,  which 
tourists  will  be  likely  to  wish  to  see,  that  cannot  be  visited 
with  entire  convenience  during  the  time  specified,  except 
the  Yosemite  valley.  On  account  of  the  great  quantity  of 
snow  that  accumulates  in  this  locality,  a  journey  to  it  can- 
not well  be  made  until  the  end  of  May.  After  the  snow  is 
melted,  so  that  the  trip  is  practicable,  the  sooner  it  is  made 
the  better,  because  early  in  the  season  the  streams  are 
fuller  and  the  falls  more  wonderful  than  later. 

Southern  California  should  be  seen  in  February  or 
March,  if  possible.  The  oranges  will  not  then  all  have 
been  gathered,  and  everything  will  be  looking  its  best. 
The  rain-fall  is  so  much  less  in  this  part  of  the  State  than 
it  is  farther  north  that,  of  course,  it  dries  up  sooner.  Let 
no  one  who  visits  this  part  of  the  State  fail,  either  in  going 
or  coming,  to  make  the  trip  by  land.  It  is  better  to  go 
down  by  sea  and  return  by  stage.  The  ride,  to  be  sure, 
will  be  fatiguing;  but  rest  can  be  taken  by  the  way,  if 
need  be,  by  stopping  over  a  day.  After  the  ride  is  finished, 
there  will  be  great  comfort  in  feeling  that  you  have  accom- 
plished that  for  which  you  went — you  have  seen  something 
of  the  country.  For  how  can  you  know  anything  about 
the  land  by  sailing  past  it  on  the  ocean,  especially  if  you 


144  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

should  chance  to  be  sea-sick  and  lie  in  your  berth  all  the 
while  ? 

After  the  southern  trip  you  can  take  the  others  in 
whatever  order  you  please.  You  will  probably  make  San 
Francisco  your  base  of  operations,  and  you  will  find  much 
in  the  city  itself  to  please  and  interest  you.  One  of  the 
first  places  that  you  will  visit  will  be  Woodward's  gardens, 
where  you  will  find  among  the  native  products  some  im- 
mense "  grizzlies  "  and  huge  sea-lions,  or  seals,  as  they  are 
more  generally  called.  Ungainly  and  awkward-looking  as 
they  are,  you  will  discover  a  strange  pathos  in  their  brown 
eyes  if  you  regard  them  attentively  enough.  If  you  have 
the  time  to  spare,  you  can  well  spend  a  day  there,  and 
then  not  feel  willing  to  depart. 

Your  first  ride  will  probably  be  to  the  Cliff  House,  to 
see  the  seals  and  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  is  a  pleasant  ride, 
and  you  can  take  a  carriage  and  have  the  privilege  of 
paying  several  dollars  for  it,  or,  if  "of  a  frugal  mind," 
you  can  go  in  the  public  conveyances  for  thirty  or  forty 
cents.  If  you  have  not  seen  the  Pacific  ocean  before,  that 
will  be  the  great  attraction  —  the  grand  sight  for  which 
you  will  most  care.  But  the  seal  rocks,  and  the  seals 
sporting  on  them,  will  also  claim  attention.  There  are 
three  or  four  of  these  rocks  only  a  little  way  out  in  the 
ocean.  One  of  them  is  as  high  as  a  meeting-house;  but 
the  great  lubberly  seals  contrive  to  get  up  to  the  top  of  it. 
These  seals  are  protected  by  law,  and  really  seem  to  have  a 
very  good  time  of  it.  They  come  up  on  the  rocks  to  sun 
themselves,  and  here  they  squirm  and  squabble  and  bark 
and  play  and  fight.  Those  who  go  often  to  see  them  make 
acquaintance  with   them    as   individuals,    and   even   know 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  145 

them  by  name.  One  monster  of  unusual  immensity  is 
known  as  Ben  Butler.  What  has  secured  this  cognomen 
for  him  —  whether  he  is  a  manoeuverer,  a  wire-puller,  or  a 
defeated  candidate  who  has  run  for  the  gubernatorial  office 
on  an  independent  ticket,  or  shown  a  determination,  by 
"hook  or  by  crook,"  to  lord  it  over  his  fellow-seals  —  the 
deponent  knows  not.  At  any  rate,  in  whatever  way  he  has 
gained  his  celebrity,  Ben  Butler  contrives  to  keep  things  in 
motion  in  sealdom,  and  maintain  a  general  interest,  of 
which  he  is  the  center.  "There  goes  Ben  Butler!"  can  be 
heard  every  little  while  from  some  of  those  who  are  watch- 
ing through  their  glasses;  and  even  if  he  is  not  seen,  it  is 
not  always  safe  to  presume  that  he  is  asleep,  or  that  he  has 
given  up  the  contest. 

Either  going  to  or  coming  from  the  Cliff  House  you 
will  stop  at  Lone  Mountain  cemetery,  which  is  the  prin- 
cipal one  belonging  to  San  Francisco. 

The  Chinese  quarters  will  be  the  most  attractive  be- 
cause most  peculiar  part  of  the  city.  The  sights  and  won- 
ders visible  among  these  very  peculiar  people  are  recorded 
in  another  chapter  devoted  especially  to  them. 

No  one  will  fail  to  visit  Oakland,  beautiful  Oakland,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  bay.  Although  only  eight  miles 
from  San  Francisco,  it  is  so  protected  by  a  change  in  the 
trend  of  the  coast,  and  by  the  hills  which  break  the  force 
of  the  wind,  that  the  climate  is  much  milder  and  more 
desirable.  It  has,  too,  more  of  the  sobriety  and  steadiness 
of  an  eastern  city  than  any  other  place  in  California.  The 
Sabbath  is  quiet  and  well  observed,  except  that  there  is 
sometimes  disturbance  occasioned  by  picnickers  from  San 
Francisco  passing  through   on  their   way   to  a   pleasant 


146  TWO    TEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

grove  on  the  farther  side  of  the  city.  Taking  everything 
into  consideration,  climatic  conditions,  social  advantages, 
educational  privileges  and  religious  opportunities,  Oakland 
is  to-day  the  most  desirable  place  of  residence  that  can  be 
found  in  the  State. 

The  University  of  California,  with  true  western  liber- 
ality, opens  its  doors  to  all,  without  regard  to  sex,  color 
or  condition,  free  of  charge.  This  institution  is  located 
at  Berkeley,  five  or  six  miles  from  Oakland.  The  site  is 
as  charming  as  can  well  be  conceived.  The  grounds  run  up 
on  to  the  foot-hills  of  the  Contra  Costa  mountains,  and  are 
handsomely  ornamented  with  acacia,  eucalyptus  and  other 
evergreens,  with  the  beautiful  pepper  tree  sprinkled  in 
here  and  there  to  give  the  finishing  touch  to  the  land- 
scape. From  every  part  of  the  grounds  you  can  look  right 
out  of  the  always  open  Golden  Gate  to  the  limitless  ocean 
beyond.  The  view  alone  is  worth  twice  the  journey  neces- 
sary to  secure  it.  The  buildings  are  of  a  fine  granite 
brought  from  Folsom,  some  thirty  miles  from  Sacramento. 

The  live-oak  grove  in  which  Oakland  is  built  has  been 
very  tenderly  treated.  Not  a  tree  has  been  cut  down  that 
could  be  spared.  Trees  have  even  been  left  standing  in 
some  of  the  streets,  and  the  carriage-ways  wind  about 
hither  and  thither  in  order  to  avoid  them.  But  of  course 
this  indulgence  cannot  be  continued;  as  business  and  pop- 
ulation increase,  these  hinderances  to  safe  transit  must  be 
taken  out  of  the  way.  In  Oakland  the  perfection  of 
beauty  exists  in  the  way  of  artistic  combinations  and 
arrangements  of  flowers  and  shrubs  and  trees.  The  de- 
lightful climate  and  rich  soil  render  such  things  possibili- 
ties when  there  are  found  the  wealth  and  the  taste  to  use 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  147 

them.  In  the  case  of  one  delighted  observer,  at  least, 
nothing  finer,  or  better,  or  richer,  or  more  beautiful,  is 
expected  to  be  seen  until  that  better  land  is  entered  of 
whose  glories  all  the  most  excellent  things  here  are  but 
types  and  shadows.  Indeed,  the  sight  of  these  has  helped 
the  imagination  in  its  endeavor  to  reach  up  to  the  full 
expectation  of  that  of  which  it  has  not  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man  to  conceive. 

The  bay  of  San  Francisco  is  a  very  perfect  sort  of 
product,  look  at  it  from  what  point  you  will  —  aesthetic, 
commercial  or  climatic.  It  is  the  only  break  in  the  Coast 
Range  mountains  between  Puget  Sound  and  the  Gulf  of 
California,  and  the  only  water  communication  between  the 
ocean  and  the  interior  valleys.  It  is  completely  land- 
locked, and  is  generally  conceded  to  be  the  second  best 
harbor  in  the  world.  It  is  fifty  miles  in  length,  extend- 
ing both  north  and  south  from  San  Francisco.  It  reaches 
about  forty  miles  below  San  Francisco,  in  a  southeasterly 
direction.  The  valley  along  its  western  border  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  State.  Causing  a  break,  as  it  does,  in 
the  Coast  Range  mountains,  the  ocean  wind  comes  through, 
and,  following  the  line  of  the  bay,  makes  the  inhabitants 
of  all  the  regions  round  about  participants  in  the  refresh- 
ing and  invigorating  influences  of  the  sea-breezes.  The 
average  width  of  the  bay  is  nine  miles. 

The  Golden  Gate,  as  the  strait  by  which  it  is  connected 
with  the  ocean  is  called,  is  less  than  a  mile  in  width 
at  the  opening,  and  because  it  was  so  narrow  it  escaped 
for  centuries  the  scrutinizing  eyes  of  the  mariners  who 
sailed  along  the  coast.  There  are  sixty  feet  of  water  in 
the  channel.     The  arrangements  for  defense  could  scarcely 

7* 


148  TWO    YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

be  better.  The  gate-posts,  both  north  and  south,  are  bold 
projections,  which  thoroughly  and  easily  command  the  en- 
trance. Point  Bonita,  on  the  north,  has  a  light-house 
upon  it  to  illuminate  the  entrance  to  the  bay.  Fort  Point 
is  placed  on  the  southern  projection,  just  in  front  of  the 
open  gate.  Only  one  mile  and  a  quarter  away  a  little  isl- 
and has  been  dropped,  as  though  on  purpose  to  furnish 
additional  guards  to  the  entrance. 

This  island  is  called  Alcatraz,  and  is  bristling  with  ord- 
nance from  bottom  to  top,  and  is  always  ready  to  repel  a 
hostile  invader.  Northeast  of  Alcatraz,  and  also  command- 
ing the  entrance,  is  Angel  Island,  the  largest  and  most  val- 
uable of  the  three  government  islands  in  this  part  of  the 
bay.  Still  further  from  the  gate,  and  east  of  these  two,  is 
the  island  of  Yuerba  Buena,  or  Goat  Island,  as  it  is  now 
generally  called.  This  is  the  coveted  morsel  that  the  Cen- 
tral Pacific  Railroad  has  been  and  is  so  anxious  to  swallow. 
The  road  extends  out  into  the  bay  three  miles,  a  wharf 
being  built  that  distance  in  a  direct  line  toward  Goat  Isl- 
and, to  which  another  mile  would  bring  it.  Of  course  it 
would  be  better  to  have  a  place  on  terra  firma  on  which  to 
receive  and  discharge  freight  than  to  construct  warehouses 
upon  piles  so  far  out  in  the  water.  The  San  Franciscans 
are  hostile  to  any  such  arrangements,  because  vessels  could 
enter  the  Golden  Gate,  go  to  the  island,  receive  and  dis- 
charge freight,  without  saying  "By  your  leave!" 

The  maximum  rise  of  water  at  full  tide  at  San  Fran- 
cisco is  eight  feet.  The  influence  of  the  tide  is  felt  as  far 
as  navigation  extends,  both  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Jo- 
aquin rivers.  At  Sacramento,  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
miles  from  the  Golden  Gate,  the  rise  is  two  feet  six  inches, 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  149 

and  at  Stockton,  which  is  about  equally  distant,  the  rise  is 
not  far  from  the  same. 

One  of  the  pleasant  expeditions  from  San  Francisco 
will  be  to  San  Jos6.  This  is  a  beautiful  town  of  ten  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  about  fifty  miles  from  San  Francisco,  and 
eight  or  ten  from  the  head  of  the  bay.  The  town  of  Santa 
Clara  is  three  miles  distant,  and  the  two  are  connected  by 
an  alameda  or  avenue,  on  each  side  of  which  are  large  old 
willows,  planted  by  the  Spanish  padres  connected  with  the 
mission  at  Santa  Clara  nearly  a  century  ago.  The  greater 
part  of  the  trees  have  borne  the  ills  of  life  so  heroically 
that  they  are  still  vigorous.  San  Jose  can  be  reached  by 
two  railroads  —  one  each  side  of  the  bay.  The  court-house 
in  the  town  is  said  to  be  the  finest  building  in  the  State 
erected  for  that  purpose.  A  beautiful  picture  is  spread  out 
before  the  eye  from  the  top  of  the  dome.  Orchards  and 
vineyards,  groves  and  meadows,  mountains  and  valleys  meet 
the  vision,  while  tasteful  houses  and  charming  grotmds  in 
the  nearer  space  excite  admiration. 

The  climate  of  San  Jos^  is  particularly  attractive,  espe- 
cially in  the  winter.  The  winds  from  the  ocean  lose  much 
of  their  fierceness  before  they  reach  it,  and  yet  bring  enough 
invigorating  influence  to  make  them  acceptable  and  health- 
giving.  In  summer  the  heat  sometimes  transcends  the 
point  of  comfort;  still  it  by  no  means  reaches  the  extreme 
that  it  does  in  valleys  shut  out  from  the  influences  of 
the  sea.  This  upper  Santa  Clara  valley  is  the  most  highly 
cultivated  valley  in  the  State.  A  ride  through  it  in  March 
will  give  a  vivid  idea  of  the  capacity  of  the  genial  climate 
and  fertile  soil  of  the  country. 

The  New  Almaden  quicksilver  mines  are  twelve  miles 


150  TWO  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

from  San  Jos6.  These  are  the  oldest  mines  of  this  ore  in 
the  State,  and  the  most  productive.  The  ore  is  very  rich, 
yielding  in  some  cases  sixty  per  cent,  of  quicksilver. 

A  trip  to  Monte  Diablo  is  among  the  things  that  will 
pay.  This  mountain,  although  not  very  elevated,  is  very 
conspicuous  because  of  its  isolation.  Having  become  so 
well  acquainted  with  it  in  the  distance,  it  was  pleasant 
to  know  it  more  intimately,  though  it  was  not  the  mountain 
itself,  but  the  view  to  be  had  from  its  summit  that  formed 
the  attraction. 

We  were  a  party  of  five,  in  which  the  feminines  had 
a  majority  of  one.  Our  wagon  was  spacious  enough  to 
accommodate  us  all,  with  our  bundles  and  carpet-bags. 
We  started  from  Benicia  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and,  crossing  the  straits  of  Carquinez  in  the  ferry-boat, 
were  soon  in  Martinez.  The  hills  carpeted  with  green, 
the  smiling  fields  that  gave  rich  promise  of  harvests  to 
come,  the  voice  of  the  meadow-lark,  thrown  in  now  and 
then  to  give  us  a  thrill  of  melody,  were  pleasant  adjuncts 
by  the  way.  An  hour's  ride  brought  us  to  Pacheco,  which 
had  rather  a  washed-out  appearance.  The  winter  rains 
seemed  to  have  been  more  copious  than  the  needs  of  the 
place  required.  Then  we  came  to  a  little  village  called 
Concord,  and  from  there  found  a  smooth  and  pleasant  road 
to  Clayton,  where  we  spent  the  night. 

As  everything  depended  upon  our  having  a  clear  day 
for  the  ascent  of  the  mountain,  the  weather  was  a  matter 
of  more  than  usual  interest.  There  were  ominous  clouds 
hanging  round  the  horizon,  and  when  we  retired  at  night 
we  had  many  misgivings  as  to  what  might  be  on  the  mor- 
row.    During  the  night  we  heard  the  patter  of  rain  upon 


A   CHAPTER  FOR  TOURISTS.  151 

the  roof  and  the  hoarse  voice  of  the  wind  in  angry  vio- 
lence. 

But  the  morning  proved  better  than  our  fears  led  us  to 
anticipate.  The  face  of  the  sun  was  clear  and  bright,  as 
though  benefited  by  its  recent  washing,  and  the  only  trace 
of  the  storm  visible  was  the  snow  upon  the  top  of  the 
mountain. 

The  summit  of  the  mountain  is  about  seven  miles  from 
Clayton,  and  for  half  the  distance  we  could  keep  our  seats 
in  the  wagon.  As  some  of  us  had  no  great  confidence  in 
our  equestrian  skill,  we  were  glad  to  keep  to  wheels  as  long 
as  we  could.  Therefore  our  riding-horses  were  led  till 
we  reached  the  end  of  the  drive.  Then  came  the  time 
of  trial.  Whether  we  should  be  able  to  retain  our  seats  in 
the  saddle  remained,  in  the  case  of  some  of  us,  a  problem 
to  which  the  Q.  E.  D.  could  not  be  attached  until  the  end 
of  the  journey.  To  those  who  were  at  all  at  home  in  the 
saddle  there  was  nothing  terrible  in  the  ascent.  It  is 
possible  to  ride  all  the  way  to  the  top,  though  in  some 
places  the  acclivity  is  so  steep  that  walking  is  easier  for 
the  tourist,  and  certainly  more  merciful  to  the  horse.  The 
compensation  for  whatever  fatigue  there  is,  is  ample  nearly 
all  the  time.  Payment  is  not  deferred  until  the  work  is 
done.  We  had  not  gone  up  far  before  glimpses  of  the 
valleys  and  the  far-off  mountains  were  an  earnest  of  what 
awaited  us  when  the  summit  was  achieved.  There  was  one 
brilliant  part  of  the  show  that  we  could  almost  flatter 
ourselves  had  been  prepared  for  our  special  and  particu- 
lar gratification.  The  storm  of  the  previous  night  had 
left  its  traces  on  the  trees  and  bushes,  which  were  all 
encased  in  ice.     The  sun  shining  upon  them  gave  them  a 


152  TWO   TEAKS   IS  CALIFORNIA. 

brilliancy  of  appearance  that  was  dazzling  to  the  eye. 
Diamonds  and  all  kinds  of  precious  stones  seemed  waiting 
to  be  gathered  as  fruit  from  the  trees.  Clouds  passed 
over  the  sun  now  and  then,  and  their  shadows  flitted 
over  the  landscape,  making  it  seem  to  fluctuate  to  the  eye. 

•'Dark  hollows  seemed  to  glide  along 
And  chase  the  sunny  ridges." 

When  we  reached  the  summit,  such  a  view  was  spread 
out  before  us  as  I  never  dreamed  could  be  taken  in  by  the 
eye.  On  one  side  we  looked  out  through  the  Golden  Gate 
to  the  boundless  ocean  beyond;  the  Farrallones  lay  there 
like  specks  in  the  ocean;  nearer  was  San  Francisco,  spread 
out  like  a  map,  with  every  street  distinctly  marked.  Val- 
lejo,  Benicia,  Pacheco,  New  York,  Antioch,  and  several 
other  towns  could  be  easily  seen.  All  this  was  viewed  with 
the  naked  eye.  Think  of  seeing  the  whole  State  of  New 
York  at  a  glance! 

Prof.  Whitney  says:  "From  the  summit  of  Monte 
Diablo  the  view  is  panoramic,  and  perhaps  unsurpassed  in 
extent.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  distribution  of  the  mountain 
ranges  of  California,  and  the  position  of  Monte  Diablo  in 
the  center  of  the  great  elliptic  basin,  the  eye  has  full  scope 
over  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  its  crest,  from 
Lassen's  Peak  on  the  north  to  Mount  Whitney  on  the  south, 
a  distance  of  fully  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles. 
It  is  only  in  the  clearest  weather  that  the  details  of  the 
'Snowy  Range'  can  be  made  out;  but  the  nearer  masses  of 
the  Coast  Range,  with  their  waves  of  mountains  and  wave- 
lets of  spurs,  are  visible  from  Mount  Hamilton  and  Mount 
Oso  on  the  south  to  Mount  Helena  on  the  north.  The 
great  interior  valley  of  California,  the  plains  of  the  Sacra- 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  153 

mento  and  San  Joaquin,  are  spread  out  under  the  observer's 
feet  like  a  map,  and  they  seem  of  illimitable  extent.  The 
whole  area  thus  embraced  in  the  field  of  vision  is  little  less 
than  forty  thousand  square  miles,  or  almost  as  large  as  the 
whole  State  of  New  York." 

Of  course  no  tourist  will  fail  to  visit  the  Geysers. 
There  are  two  ways  of  reaching  them,  by  way  of  Healds- 
burg  and  by  way  of  Calistoga.  The  former  route  leads 
past  Petaluma,  Santa  Rosa,  etc.,  to  Healdsburg,  and  then 
over  "the  hog's  back"  to  the  Geysers.  It  is  well  to  go 
one  way  and  return  by  the  other. 

We  left  San  Francisco  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
in  the  steamer,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  were  on  the 
other  side  of  the  bay  at  Vallejo.  The  cars  awaited  us 
here,  and  we  were  whisked  through  the  beautiful  Xaper 
valley  more  rapidly  than  we  wished.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  fertile  districts  in  California,  It  would 
be  difficult  for  the  elements  of  fine  scenery  and  charming 
landscapes  to  enter  into  combinations  that  would  surpass 
what  is  here  seen.  Oaks,  the  magnificence  of  which  could 
scarcely  be  surpassed  anywhere  in  the  world,  dot  the  land- 
scape here  and  there,  while  orchards  and  vineyards  and 
fields  of  golden  grain  —  golden  at  the  time  of  our  visit  — 
interspersed  with  "  patches "'  of  Indian  corn,  the  first  I 
have  seen  in  the  State,  make  up  a  wonderful  beauty  of 
shade  and  color. 

Just  at  evening  we  reached  Calistoga  Springs,  where  we 
remained  all  night.  There  is  much  that  is  attractive  about 
this  place.  Springs  of  almost  every  kind  are  found,  hot, 
cold  and  tepid.  One  spring  seems  especially  designed  for 
the  accommodation  of   the   laundress.     The  water  is  soft 


154  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

and  clear,  and  just  hot  enough  to  make  a  good  "  suds." 
That  it  may  be  applied  to  its  legitimate  purpose  a  wash- 
house  has  been  erected,  where  clothes  go  through  the 
process  of  purification. 

When  strolling  about  the  grounds  in  the  morning  a 
tasteful,  rustic  structure  arrested  my  attention.  "  Nature's 
Kitchen"  was  written  over  the  door  in  large  letters.  It 
seemed  worth  while  to  go  in  and  see  how  the  dame  ac- 
quitted herself  when  she  ventured  into  the  department  of 
culinary  art.  If  she  performed  her  duties  as  deftly  in  that 
line  as  she  does  her  work  generallj^  there  might  be  some- 
thing learned  from  an  investigation.  The  door  was  en- 
tered. A  comely  youth  seemed  to  be  acting  as  the  old 
lady's  adjutant.  He  asked  if  I  would  have  some  chicken 
broth.  The  reply  being  in  the  affirmative,  he  proceeded 
to  dip  some  water  from  a  spring  which  was  bubbling  and 
boiling  all  the  while,  and,  adding  a  little  pepper  and  salt, 
he  presented  the  cup.  It  was  chicken  broth,  sure  enough! 
and  almost  too  hot  to  eat  with  comfort.  In  what  subter- 
ranean fields  the  chickens  were  fed,  and  how  far  under- 
ground was  the  kitchen  in  which  they  had  been  prepared 
and  put  in  the  pot,  there  was  no  witness  to  testify. 

Near  by  was  another  queer  sort  of  structure,  which 
proved  to  be  a  grotto  made  of  petrifactions  brought  from 
a  petrified  forest  some  five  miles  south  of  Calistoga.  This 
forest  is  on  a  ridge  which  separates  the  Napa  and  Santa 
Rosa  valleys,  and  was  discovered  in  1870.  The  examina- 
tion that  followed  the  discovery  led  to  the  finding  of  parts 
of  one  hundred  or  more  large  forest  trees  in  a  state  of 
petrifaction.  They  were  all  prostrate,  and  seemed  to  be- 
long  to   living   species   of  coniferge.     It  is  supposed   that 


THE  DEVIL'S   CASON.      VIEW  LOOKING  UP.      Pages  153  to  l(iO. 


A    CHAPTER   FOR   TOURISTS.  155 

the  overthrow  of  the  forest  was  occasioned  by  some  erup- 
tion of  Mount  St.  Helena. 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  took  our  seats  in 
the  coach  and  started  for  the  Geysers.  The  tourists  filled 
three  wagons  that  morning.  These  were  open-covered, 
four-seated  vehicles,  each  drawn  by  six  horses.  The  first 
ten  miles  was  through  a  farming  country,  and  level  a 
great  part  of  the  way.  Then  we  changed  horses,  and  the 
perils  of  the  journey  began.  We  commenced  the  ascent 
of  the  mountains,  and  for  ten  miles  wound  along  their 
sides,  rising  higher  and  higher  at  every  step.  The  road 
is  a  marvel.  It  is  cut  in  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and 
follows  all  their  windings  in  and  out,  turning  angles  as 
sharp  as  the  crook  of  one's  elbow,  with  only  about  six 
inches  of  leeway,  and  seeming,  in  places,  not  to  have 
even  so  much  as  that  where  the  road  is  excavated  in  the 
solid  rock.  As  we  ascended,  the  views  became  continually 
finer  and  finer.  We  looked  off  over  mountains  that  seemed 
to  rise  one  upon  another,  and  to  follow  each  other  in  al- 
most endless  succession.  They  were  clothed  with  firs  and 
pines  to  their  very  summits.  In  the  distance  lay  the  Pa- 
cific ocean,  glistening  in  the  sun  and  seeming  near,  though 
seventy  miles  away.  Mount  St.  Helena  was  the  presiding 
genius  of  the  near  landscape.  Although  only  about  four 
thousand  feet  high,  it  overtops  its  compeers,  and  is  the 
observed  of  all  observers.  It  was  named  for  the  Grand 
Duchess  Helena  of  Russia,  by  the  gallant  Russian  who 
first  ascended  it  in  1841.  He  placed  a  metallic  plate 
upon  the  summit,  to  bear  record  of  his  ascent,  and  to  re- 
cord the  name  which  he  had  bestowed  upon  the  mount- 
ain.   The  plate  was  afterwards  taken  possession  of  by  the 


156  TWO   YEARS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

Geological  Survey,  and  removed  to  San  Francisco  for  safe* 
keeping.  We  rested  a  little  while  on  the  top  of  the  di- 
vide, and  then  began  our  descent.  If  one  has  nerves,  then 
is  the  time  to  find  it  out.  The  drivers  put  the  whip  to 
the  horses,  and  down  they  go  at  the  most  break-neck 
speed,  sweeping  around  curves,  turning  angles  sharply 
acute,  the  hubs  of  the  wheels  almost  touching  the  sides 
of  the  mountains  on  the  left,  while  on  the  right  you  look 
down  precipices  two  thousand,  three  thousand  feet.  The 
eye  cannot  fathom  the  depth  to  which  the  giving  way  of 
a  tug,  the  striking  of  the  hub  against  the  rock  which  it 
approaches  so  nearly,  might  precipitate  the  load  of  living 
freight.  Dark  chasms  seem  yawning  to  devour  you.  At 
last  the  race  is  over,  and  we  draw  up  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly at  the  Geyser  hotel. 

All  preconceived  ideas  of  the  Geysers  were  doomed  to 
be  disappointed.  The  pictures  in  the  Geography,  of  the 
geysers  in  Iceland,  had  perhaps  unconsciously  been  the 
models  upon  which  expectations  had  been  formed;  but 
they  proved  very  wide  of  the  mark.  Pluton  river  runs 
along  just  in  front  of  the  hotel,  and  continues  on  its 
winding  way  until  it  finds  the  Eussian  river,  into  which 
it  empties.  The  gorge  through  which  it  runs  is  quite 
narrow,  and  is  called  Pluton  canon.  There  is  said  to  be 
fine  trout-fishing  in  this  little  stream,  and  some  conveni- 
ences are  provided  which  are  not  always  found  in  con- 
junction with  opportunities  of  the  kind.  There  are  places 
where  the  fisherman,  after  having  caught  his  fish,  without 
moving  may  cast  it  into  a  hot  spring,  and  bring  it  out 
done  to  a  turn  and  ready  for  eating.  Not  very  far  from 
the  hotel  there  is  a  hot,  acid  spring,  to  the  water  of  which,  if 


A    CHAPTEK    FOR   TOURISTS.  157 

a  little  sugar  be  added,  the  perfection  of  hot  lemonade  is 
produced.  One  visitor,  that  I  know  of,  tasted  the  water 
fresh  from  the  spring,  and  a  blistered  tongue  bore  testi- 
mony to  its  heat  for  several  days.  There  is  a  bath-house 
over  a  hot  spring  in  Pluton  caiion,  a  bath  in  which  is  a 
luxury  to  be  remembered. 

Geyser  canon  opens  into  Pluton  at  rather  an  acute 
angle.  We  entered  at  the  lower  end,  and  soon  the  hissing, 
shaking,  roaring,  and  c^uaking  began.  The  forces  of  Pan- 
demonium seem  to  be  released,  and  to  have  collected  here 
to  try  what  they  can  do.  Passing  alum  springs,  sulphur 
springs,  black  as  the  fabled  Tartarean  gulf,  and  many 
other  kinds  of  springs,  we  come  to  the  Devil's  Inkstand. 
Whether  he  uses  the  ink  for  making  records  or  not,  other 
people  do.  We  were  told  that  the  register  at  the  hotel 
was  kept  with  it,  but  in  the  case  of  one  of  our  company 
who  tried  it,  it  did  not  prove  durable.  The  writing  soon 
faded,  and  after  a  while  was  obliterated. 

The  ground  becoming  hot,  rapidity  of  motion  is  a  neces- 
sity, and  yet  each  time  you  put  your  foot  down  with  hesita- 
tion, as  though  it  might  perchance  get  into  the  way  that 
takes  hold  on  death.  The  air  becomes  oppressive,  steamy, 
thick,  sulphurous.  You  gasp;  you  hesitate;  you  conclude 
that  this  is  one  of  the  places  in  which  it  may  be  pleasant 
to  have  been,  but  it  is  anything  else  than  pleasant  to  be  in  I 

The  way  is  slippery  and  the  slime  is  ghastly,  super- 
natural, infernal.  The  cation  is  so  narrow  that  there  is 
scarcely  any  room  to  spare  by  the  side  of  the  creek  that 
runs  through.  We  are  obliged  to  go  first  on  one  side, 
then  cross  over  to  the  other,  ascending  all  the  while  a 
pretty   steep    grade.      We   come    to    a  chair-shaped   rock 


158  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

which  is  called  the  Devil's  Chair.  Finding  it  vacant  we 
do  not  disdain  to  take  a  seat  for  a  few  minutes  to  recover 
breath  and  wipe  off  the  perspiration.  Sulphur,  and  many 
compositions  of  which  you  do  not  know  the  name,  are 
around  you.  Everything  wears  an  unearthly  look,  and 
you  can  easily  persuade  yourself  that  you  have  indeed 
invaded  the  dominions  of  the  Infernal  Majesty,  to  whom 
the  whole  region  seems  to  be  given  up,  and  whose  stamp 
everything  wears.  Soon  after  we  come  to  the  Devil's 
Pulpit.  What  he  wants  of  a  pulpit  it  would  be  difficult 
to  guess,  unless  it  be  in  those  times  when  he  arrays  himself 
in  garments  of  light  the  better  to  deceive  his  victims. 
The  Devil's  Grist  Mill,  which  he  makes  a  great  noise  in 
turning,  is  near  by.  But  far  above  all  other  sounds  the 
Steamboat  Geyser  makes  itself  heard.  The  resemblance 
to  a  steamboat  letting  off  steam  is  perfect.  This  noise  is 
made  by  a  column  of  steam  rushing  out  of  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  It  sometimes  ascends  to  the  height  of  three 
hundred  feet.  Near  this  is  the  Witch's  Caldron,  as  weird- 
looking  a  place  as  can  well  be  imagined.  It  is  a  black 
hole  seven  or  eight  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  said  to  be  abso- 
lutely unfathomable.  It  has  been  sounded  to  the  depth  of 
twelve  hundred  feet  without  reaching  bottom.  The  rock 
is  black  in  which  the  cavity  lies,  the  mixture  is  black,  and 
it  is  boiling,  bubbling,  seething  around,  now  rising  to 
within  a  foot  or  two  of  the  top,  then  falling  back,  hissing, 
steaming  and  howling  as  though  it  had  been  balked  in 
its  efforts  to  accomplish  a  purpose.  I  looked  down  into 
it  almost  expecting  to  see 

"  The  eye  of  newt  and  toe  of  frog, 
Wool  of  bat  and  tongue  of  dog." 


A    CHAPTER    FOR   TOURISTS.  159 

Undoubtedly  they  were  there,  but  they  were  undistinguish- 
able  in  the  diabolical  mixture  that  continued  to  "  like  a 
hell-broth  boil  and  bubble."  In  another  place  we  found 
the  Devil's  Tea-kettle.  I  wonder  what  kind  of  tea  he  uses! 
There  is  much  in  our  markets  that  might  be  sent  to  him; 
it  might  not  hurt  him,  and  surely  the  tea-drinkers  in 
the  world  would  be  the  better  for  its  loss.  Finally  the 
summit  of  the  route  is  reached,  over  which  streams  the 
tricolored  flagv  and  we  feel  that  we  are  once  more  in 
our  native  country.  There  is  a  feeling  of  relief  that  we 
have  passed  through  the  dominions  of  our  arch-enemy  and 
—  are  safe! 

These  curious  and  wonderful  processes  are  now  decided 
to  be  wholly  the  result  of  chemical  action ;  volcanic  power 
has  nothing  to  do  with  them;  the  amount  of  moisture 
affects  the  manifestations.  Heat  and  chemicals  are  always 
in  the  great  laboratory,  and  when  enough  moisture  is  added 
all  the  conditions  for  activity  are  met. 

On  our  return  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  have  a  seat  in 
the  wagon  driven  by  Foss,  whose  renown  is  coextensive 
with  the  fame  of  the  Geysers.  That  ride  was  worth  the 
whole  expense  of  the  journey.  Not  a  loud  word  was 
spoken;  not  a  crack  of  the  whip  was  heard.  The  reins 
seemed  to  be  nerves  to  convey  the  will  of  the  master  to  the 
steeds,  that  seemed  to  delight  in  obedience.  On  we  dashed, 
bounding  around  corners  and  shooting  around  angles. 
The  heads  of  the  leaders  were  often  out  of  sight,  so  sharp 
were  the  curves  and  so  rapidly  did  we  go. 

Foss  drives  the  last  eighteen  miles  in  an  hour  and 
three-quarters.  No  accident,  it  is  said,  has  ever  happened 
upon  the  road,  notwithstanding  it  is  driven  over  so  rapidly 


160  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

The  cost  of  the  round  trip  from  San  Francisco  and  back 
is  now  estimated  at  sixteen  dollars.  When  the  writer 
made  the  trip  the  cost  was  twenty-five  dollars. 

The  beautiful  beach  at  Pescadero  is  well  worth  a  visit, 
and  pebbles  picked  up  there  will  be  among  the  valuable 
trophies  brought  from  the  Pacific  coast. 

Pescadero  is  on  one  of  the  routes  to  Santa  Cruz, 
which  place  should  not  be  omitted  if  it  is  possible  to 
reach  it.  It  is  the  Newport  of  California.  Being  situ- 
ated on  a  cove  in  the  bay  of  Monterey,  it  is  so  protected 
from  the  winds  as  to  be  a  very  desirable  summer  resort. 
It  is  a  place  of  considerable  business  also,  being  second 
in  this  respect  to  San  Francisco.  Tanneries  are  especially 
abundant,  and  a  large  amount  of  leather  is  manufactured. 
One  reason  for  this  industry  is  the  abundance  of  chestnut- 
oak  that  abounds  in  the  vicinity.  The  bark  of  this  tree 
contains  more  and  better  tannin  than  that  of  any  other 
tree.  Large  quantities  of  sole-leather  are  exported,  which 
on  account  of  its  superior  quality  commands  an  extra 
price  in  the  market. 

The  six  weeks  spent  in  Santa  Cruz  by  the  writer  have 
left  many  pleasant  memories.  The  visit  was  made  dui'ing 
the  months  of  July  and  August.  The  mornings  and  even- 
ings were  so  cool  that  a  little  fire  was  almost  always 
needful  for  comfort,  and  even  at  midday  a  heavy  shawl 
was  essential  when  riding  in  an  open  carriage.  The  rides 
are  delightful  in  the  vicinity,  and  one  should  never  be 
finished  without  going  to  the  beach  and  driving  up  and 
down  a  few  times.  There  was  but  one  drawback  to  the 
pleasure  of  riding,  and  whether  that  drawback  should 
come  under  the  geographical   head  of  climate  or  soil  ad- 


A   CHAPTER  FOR  TOURISTS.  161 

mits  of  doubt;  for  it  was  fluctuating  —  now  on  the  earth 
and  now  in  the  air.  The  dust  was  sometimes  sufi"ocating, 
blinding,  tormenting.  The  soil  was  entirely  too  free  for 
comfort;  the  laws  of  gravity  seemed  to  have  no  dominion 
over  it. 

It  was  here  that  acquaintance  with  Ying  was  made. 
He  had  penetrated  further  into  the  arcana  of  the  cooking 
art  than  any  other  "Heathen  Chinee"  that  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  fall  in  with.  Such  appetizing  viands  as 
he  set  before  us  —  such  combinations  and  excellent  re- 
sults —  it  was  an  uncommon  thing  to  meet  with.  He  was 
caterer,  steward  and  factotum  in  the  establishment.  The 
mistress  said,  why  should  she  give  orders  when  he  knew 
so  much  better  what  was  needed  and  what  was  best? 
He  was  a  rarely  good  laundress  too.  Snow  is  not  whiter 
nor  glass  smoother  than  the  clothes  that  he  sent  from 
his  workshop.  He  sprinkled  while  he  ironed.  Putting 
his  mouth  down  to  a  basin  filled  with  water,  and  sucking 
in  as  much  as  convenient,  he  again  emitted  it  in  a  fine 
spray,  making  a  noise  meanwhile  like  an  incipient  steam- 
boat, which  could  be  heard  over  a  considerable  part  of 
the  house. 

Ying  had  the  strange  peculiarity  of  liking  to  have  his 
own  way,  and  when  told  to  do  anything  that  he  did  not 
want  to  do,  he  always  took  refuge  in  his  imperfect  under- 
standing of  the  language:  "Me  not  know."  How  could 
he,  poor  heathen! 

Ying  adhered  to  the  national  customs  in  his  dress. 
His  head  was  shaved,  except  a  round  place  on  the  top 
about  the  size  of  a  saucer.  The  hair  which  grew  upon 
this  portion  was   braided,  and  coiled  about  like  a  crown. 


162  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

What  the  longitude  of  this  cue  would  have  been  if  it 
had  been  allowed  to  stretch  itself  out  there  were  no  means 
of  knowing.  Ying  wore  the  loose,  blue  blouse  that  is  so 
generally  seen  in  the  streets  of  San  Francisco,  with  loose 
trowsers  of  the  same  color,  made  after  the  Turkish  fash- 
ion. 

Forests  of  redwood  abound  in  the  region  of  Santa 
Cruz,  and  are  not  among  the  least  attractive  things  to 
be  seen.  The  old  town  of  Monterey,  the  first  capital  of 
California,  is  across  the  bay  and  easily  visited. 

No  traveler  should  go  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  return 
without  stopping  to  see  Lake  Tahoe,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful lakes  in  the  world,  as  it  is  one  of  the  highest.  By 
leaving  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  at  Truckee  it  can  be 
seen  without  fatigue,  and  without  any  great  delay.  It  is  only 
fourteen  miles  from  Truckee,  and  a  good  stage  road,  over 
which  there  are  daily  coaches,  makes  it  within  easy  reach. 
Lake  Tahoe  is  six  thousand  four  hundred  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  —  higher  than  Mount  Washington,  that 
giant  among  the  peaks  of  New  England.  Estimates  of  its 
size  vary;  by  some  authorities  it  is  put  down  as  being 
thirty  by  fifteen  miles,  and  by  others  twenty  by  ten. 

It  was  cloudy  the  day  we  reached  it,  and  the  clouds 
rested,  not  on  the  tops  of  the  mountains  which  surround 
the  lake,  but  on  their  sides,  while  the  summits  stood  out 
boldly  in  the  clear  atmosphere.  As  though  the  lake  said 
to  them,  "  Come  rest  on  this  bosom,"  they  nestled  closely 
down,  as  if  glad  to  find  so  beautiful  a  resting-place.  A 
pleasant  little  steamboat  goes  back  and  forth,  carrying 
passengers  to  the  different  parts  of  the  lake.  Never  was 
water  so  clear  and  so   blue.     We  could   look  down   forty 


A   CHAPTER   FOR  TOURISTS.  163 

or  fifty  feet  and  count  tlie  pebbles  on  the  bottom,  and  see 
the  fish  glide  along,  and  the  water-snakes  wound  up  in 
their  coils.  The  sky  itself  was  not  bluer  than  the  water, 
and  the  tint  was  particularly  soft  and  bright.  The  lake 
abounds  in  trout,  which  are  of  an  unusually  large  size. 

A  ride  in  a  row-boat,  one  pleasant  morning,  was  par- 
ticularly enjoyable.  We  went  over  to  Cornelian  Bay,  and 
along  the  first  part  of  the  way  the  lake  was  as  calm  as 
a  summer  evening.  The  water  which  dripped  from  the 
oars,  falling  into  the  lake,  made  little  circlets  which  the 
sun  at  once  converted  into  rainbows.  These  spotted  the 
surface,  and  myriads  of  little  rainbows  danced  hither  and 
thither,  some  larger,  some  smaller,  but  all  gay  and  beau- 
tiful. A  breeze  sprang  up  while  we  were  out,  and  when 
we  returned  there  was  another  and  different  display.  The 
breeze  roughened  the  surface  of  the  lake,  and  the  sun 
shone  in  such  a  direction  that  the  crest  of  each  little  wave- 
let was  converted  into  a  brilliant  diamond ;  thus  they  were 
glistening  all  around,  dancing  here  and  there,  and  all  dia- 
monds of  the  first  water! 

The  mountains  stand  round  about  this  lake  as  they  do 
about  Jerusalem,  making  such  scenery  as  one  does  not 
easily  tire  of  seeing. 

The  line  which  separates  California  from  Nevada  passes 
through  the  lake,  so  that  a  part  of  it  is  in  one  State  and 
a  part  in  the  other. 

Donner  lake,  so  well  known  for  its  sad  associations, 
is  a  beautiful  little  lake  on  the  other  side  of  Truckee, 
and  in  full  view  of  the  railroad.  It  is  well  worthy  of  a 
visit  and  a  nearer  acquaintance  than  can  be  had  from  the 
railway. 


164  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORKIA. 

The  cost  of  living  differs  greatly  in  different  parts  of 
the  State.  In  San  Francisco  and  Oakland  it  is  about  the 
same  in  gold  that  it  is  in  Philadelphia  or  Cincinnati  in 
curx'ency.  The  charge  at  hotels  is  about  three  dollars  per 
diem;  at  boarding-houses,  almost  anywhere  between  ten 
and  twenty  dollars  per  week.  Many  persons,  to  whom  it 
is  convenient  or  desirable,  rent  furnished  rooms  and  take 
their  meals  at  restaurants.  The  charges  in  restaurants 
are  less  than  in  eastern  cities.  A  breakfast  or  lunch, 
consisting  of  a  cup  of  tea  or  coffee,  a  mutton-chop  or  piece 
of  beef-steak,  potatoes,  bread,  butter  and  pickle,  can  be  had 
for  twenty-five  cents.  A  certain  person,  in  whom  the  writer 
has  a  first-class  interest,  who  was  scantily  blessed  with 
"filthy  lucre,"  contrived  to  live  in  Oakland,  during  the 
whole  winter,  at  an  average  cost  of  five  dollars  per  week. 
Two  of  these  dollars  went  for  room-rent,  and  the  remain- 
der covered  the  cost  of  board,  fuel,  washing,  and  all  other 
needful  things.  To  be  sure,  many  things  were  sacrificed 
that  it  would  have  been  pleasant  to  have ;  but  the  privations 
were  borne  cheerfully,  and  amends  were  sought  and  found 
in  seeing  and  enjoying  the  charming  grounds  of  Oakland, 
which  were  a  continual  feast  that  never  palled  upon  the 
taste,  and  in  an  occasional  visit  to  San  Francisco,  over  the 
waters  of  the  beautiful  bay.  In  making  any  such  arrange- 
ment, be  sure  and  get  a  room  into  which  the  sun  shines 
a  part  of  the  day,  and  the  larger  the  part  the  better. 
The  days  are  rare,  in  Oakland  and  San  Francisco,  when 
it  is  really  comfortable  in  the  morning  and  evening  with- 
out a  fire.  But  when  the  sun  is  shining,  if  you  have  a 
room  into  which  its  beams  can  enter,  you  will  alwaj^s  be 
warm   enough.      The    prices   of  some  things  essential   to 


A    CHAPTER   FOR   TOURISTS.  165 

living  are  less  in  California  than  the  east,  while  of  many 
the  cost  is  greater.  Flour  is  both  cheaper  and  better,  and 
the  price  of  meat  and  fish  is  less;  but  fuel  is  very  ex- 
pensive. A  considerable  part  of  the  coal  used  is  brought 
from  England  and  Australia,  and  the  remainder  comes 
from  Oregon. 


166  TWO    YEARS   IN    GALIFOKNIA. 

CHAPTER    XII. 

A    CHAPTER    FOR    SETTLERS. 

SOMETIMES  an  affirmative  is  best  reached  through  a 
pathway  of  negatives. 

Those  persons  should  not  go  to  California  with  any  ex- 
pectation of  prospering  in  material  good  who  have  not  the 
tact  and  energy  and  enterprise  to  succeed  in  "  the  States." 

There  is  not  one  element  essential  to  success  elsewhere 
that  is  not  needed  there;  the  urgency  of  an  increased  need 
might  be  emphasized.  It  is  true  in  California,  as  it  is  in 
other  countries,  that  the  easy  places  are  already  occupied. 
There  is  a  superabundance  of  clerks,  book-keepers,  teach- 
ers, civil  engineers  and  professional  men  generally. 

It  is  no  longer  the  fact  that  fortunes  can  be  made  in  a 
day  in  California,  as  they  once  were.  He  who  would  thrive 
must  do  so  there,  as  he  would  anywhere  else,  by  patient 
industry,  by  economy  and  by  earnest  endeavors.  No  one 
should  go  there  expecting,  or  even  hoping,  that  in  some  for- 
tunate moment  he  may  come  across  a  nugget  of  gold  that 
will  prove  a  nest-egg  out  of  which  can  be  hatched  a  for- 
tune. 

But  to  one  who  goes  expecting  to  endure  hardship,  ex- 
pecting to  toil,  and  especially  expecting  to  save,  the  avenues 
to  comfortable  living  are  many  and  sure.  There  is  a 
tendency  to  large  expectation  growing  out  of  the  influ- 
ence of  early  mining  operations,  when  money  was  made 
rapidly,  spent   lavishly  and   all   business   transacted   in  a 


A    CHAPTER   FOR   SETTLERS.  167 

grand  way  —  when  expenditures  were  on  a  scale  of  mag- 
nificence that  already  seems  almost  fabulous,  and  marks 
that  period  as  having  been  literally  the  golden  age.  Al- 
though the  time  is  past,  the  influence  of  it  still  remains. 
It  is  perceptibly  diminishing  year  by  year,  however,  as  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  dimes  are  coming  into  use,  and 
even  half-dimes  are  sometimes  seen,  while  only  a  little 
v/hile  ago  a  man  scorned  to  look  at  anything  less  than  a 
quarter.  There  is  no  better  index  to  the  precision  in 
trade  and  the  economy  in  commerce  which  prevail  among 
a  people  than  the  value  of  the  coins  in  use.  The  more 
careful  the  expenditure  the  lower  will  be  the  denomina- 
tions of  the  medium  used. 

At  present  it  would  seem  that  the  first  and  strongest  at- 
traction is  toward  agriculture,  in  some  of  its  numerous  de- 
partments. California  is  truly  a  paradise  for  farmers.  The 
summer  is  not  spent  in  raising  grain  and  other  products 
to  be  eaten  up  by  man  and  beast  in  winter,  while  nothing 
can  be  done;  but  the  farmer  continues  steadily  at  pi'O- 
ductive  labor  all  the  year  round.  Nothing  requires  to  be 
housed  or  fed  except  the  working-horses,  or  possibly  the 
milch-cows,  which  will  need  to  be  fed  a  small  part  of  the 
time. 

If  near  a  market,  or  if  a  market  is  easily  accessible, 
fruit  raising  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  as  well  as 
pleasant  kinds  of  farming.  Less  land  is  required  than  for 
raising  grain.  There  does  not  seem,  at  present,  any  dan- 
ger of  the  supply  exceeding  the  demand,  as  is  shown  by 
the  price  of  fruit  in  the  market  of  San  Francisco.  Most 
kinds  of  fruit  sell  for  more  than  they  do  in  St.  Louis  or 
Cincinnati.     Even   grapes,  that   grow  everywhere  so  lux- 


168  TWO   YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

uriantly  and  yield  so  abundantly,  sell  for  more  than  they 
do  in  St.  Louis.  Eight  cents  per  pound  —  three  pounds 
for  a  quarter  —  is  about  the  usual  price,  though  they  may 
occasionally  be  found  for  five  or  six  cents  per  pound. 

The  cultivation  of  small  fruits  is  very  profitable.  Straw- 
berries, raspberries  and  currants  always  sell  well,  and  can 
be  easily  cultivated  if  arrangements  for  irrigation  are  se- 
cured. 

There  is  beginning  to  be  much  doubt  as  to  the  profit- 
ableness of  the  large-ranch  system  which  has  prevailed  so 
extensively  in  California.  It  is  a  well  established  fact  that 
very  few  of  the  owners  of  large  ranches  have  become  rich, 
and  in  a  majority  of  cases  the  original  owners  are  poor 
men  now,  their  lands  having  passed  into  other  hands. 
Some  of  those  who  continue  in  possession  are  cumbered 
with  debt  and  troubled  to  know  how  to  make  the  ends 
meet.  Of  course  there  are  exceptions  to  this  rule.  There 
are  owners  who  have  the  tact  and  energy  to  manage  in 
a  way  to  bring  in  large  profits.  It  is  especially  true  in 
the  raising  of  grain  that  there  must  be  land  enough  to  cul- 
tivate considerable  quantities  in  order  to  make  it  profitable. 
Labor  is  expensive,  and  machinery  must  be  used  as  far  as 
possible  in  its  stead.  Steam  and  horse  power  must  take 
the  place  of  horses.  Such  machinery  is  expensive,  and 
there  must  be  large  profits  to  make  it  pay.  There  is 
probably  no  country  in  the  world  that  admits  of  so  varied 
a  range  of  agricultural  pursuits,  because  there  is  no  other 
where  it  is  possible  to  cultivate  so  great  a  variety  of 
products.  It  would  only  be  telling  what  is  already 
known  to  write  about  fruits,  grain,  etc.  Statements  will, 
therefore,  be  confined  to  some  of  the  more  recently  tried 


A    CHAPTEK    FOE   SETTLERS.  169 

experiments    and   to   some  of   the   urgent  wants   not  yet 
met. 

The  wheat  crop  of  California  is  handled  in  sacks.  There 
is  but  one  grain  elevator  in  the  State.  Boats  pass  down 
the  Sacramento  and  up  the  San  Joaquin  rivers  loaded  with 
sacks  of  wheat,  which  are  piled  up  many  feet  high  and 
lie  uncovered  and  exposed.  The  immunity  from  rain 
makes  it  safe  to  transport  grain  in  this  way.  The  sacks 
thus  used  are  made  of  jute,  which  is  raised  in  India,  taken 
to  Scotland  and  manufactured  into  bags  and  then  brought 
to  California.  Of  course  there  must  be  a  profit  for  the  pro- 
ducer of  the  jute,  another  for  those  who  take  the  crude 
material  to  Scotland,  another  for  the  manufacturer,  and  yet 
another  for  the  importer,  by  whom  it  is  brought  to  this 
country,  and  finally,  if  the  sacks  are  not  bought  at  first 
hands,  a  profit  goes  into  the  pocket  of  the  retailer.  It  is 
not  strange  that  all  these  items  added  together  make  a  large 
aggregate  which  it  takes  one-eleventh  of  the  entire  wheat 
crop  to  pay.  The  cost  to  the  State  for  sacks  is  about  two 
millions  of  dollars  per  annum.  The  price  is  about  fifteen 
cents  per  sack,  but  in  times  of  scarcity  it  sometimes  goes 
up  to  seventeen  or  eighteen  cents.  Already  something  has 
been  done  toward  supplying  this  demand.  A  factory  in 
Oakland  turns  out  one  million  of  bags  annually,  and  more 
than  a  million  are  manufactured  elsewhere  in  the  State. 
The  jute  is  imported  directly  from  India.  The  sacks  can 
be  made  for  fourteen  and  a-half  cents  apiece  and  yield  a 
fair  profit.  Any  soil  and  climate  that  will  produce  corn 
will  also  produce  jute.  It  is  less  difficult  to  raise  than 
cotton,  and  more  profitable.  Recently  the  experiment  of 
growing  jute  was  successfully  tried  on  Kern  Island.     The 


170  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

man  or  men  who  would  go  into  central  or  southern  Cal- 
ifornia and  enter  upon  the  business  of  raising  jute  would 
be  sure  of  large  profits,  and  have  a  much  better  chance 
to  make  a  fortune  than  though  they  owned  a  gold  mine 
or  shares  in  a  diamond  field.  The  value  of  the  wheat  crop 
of  1875  in  California  was  twenty-six  millions  of  dollars, 
which  is  only  eighty  per  cent,  of  that  of  1874,  because  of 
the  deficiency  of  rain  causing  a  poor  crop.  To  provide 
sacks  for  such  a  quantity  of  wheat  is  an  item  of  great 
importance. 

Cotton-raising  has  passed  beyond  the  jieriod  of  experi- 
ment, and  taken  a  position  among  established  facts.  Mr. 
J.  Ross  Browne  says:  "  Experiments  made  in  the  culture  of 
cotton  show  conclusively  that  this  will  soon  become  one 
of  the  great  staples  of  the  Pacific  coast.  The  area  of  land 
suitable  for  its  growth  is,  however,  limited.  It  requires 
moisture,  heat  and  comparative  exemption  from  frost.  The 
alluvial  lands  of  the  San  Joaquin  valley  adjacent  to  Kern, 
Buena  Vista  and  Tulare  lakes  will,  in  all  probability,  prove 
as  valuable  for  cotton  lands  as  the  best  lands  in  Georgia. 
Cotton  produces  fiber  in  diminished  quantity,  though  of  im- 
proved quality,  when  removed  from  a  southern  locality 
further  north.  It  never  seems  to  be  injured  by  the  most 
intense  heat.  When  other  crops,  including  even  Indian 
corn,  are  drooping  under  a  blazing  sun,  the  large  succulent- 
looking  leaves  of  a  cotton  field  will  seem  to  enjoy  the 
congenial   atmosphere.     Cotton    is  decidedly  a  sun-plant." 

California  is  particularly  fitted  for  the  growth  of  cot- 
ton. The  period  between  the  late  frosts  of  the  spring  and 
the  early  frosts  of  the  fall  is  longer  than  is  required  to 
mature  the  plant,  and  the  absolute   immunity  from  rain 


A    CHAPTER   FOR   SETTLERS.  171 

allows  a  long  period  for  picking  after  the  balls  have  ma- 
tured, without  any  danger  of  damage  by  rain. 

There  being  no  rain  in  summer,  weeds  do  not  grow, 
and  the  cotton  has  the  whole  strength  of  the  soil.  This  is 
particularly  well  adapted  to  cotton.  Sandy  soil  is  found 
in  the  valleys  and  the  adobe  lands  corresponding  almost 
exactly  with  the  black  lands  in  the  South,  which  are  re- 
garded as  normal  cotton  soil. 

The  staple  produced  in  California  is  superior  to  the 
great  bulk  of  the  production  of  the  southern  States. 

Cotton,  when  it  requires  any  irrigation  at  all,  needs  less 
than  half  the  quantity  necessary  for  the  production  of 
Indian  corn.  The  expense  of  its  cultivation  does  not  ex- 
ceed that  of  corn,  while  the  profit  is  much  greater,  and  the 
cost  of  transportation  is  only  a  fraction  of  what  it  is  for 
grain.  In  the  southern  States  it  costs  twelve  cents  per 
pound  to  raise  it;  in  California,  not  more  than  six  or  seven 
cents.  There  is  scarcely  any  plant  that  requires  so  little 
moisture,  and  none  for  which  irrigation  is  so  well  adapted. 
The  time  may  come  when  California  will  rank  as  the  best 
cotton-growing  State  in  the  Union.  The  Legislature  has 
done  what  it  could  to  encourage  effort  in  this  direction. 

Experiments  in  the  cultivation  of  rice  have  been  suffi- 
ciently successful  to  warrant  the  expectation  that  this  will 
become  one  of  the  profitable  crops  of  the  State,  when  com- 
plete arrangements  are  made  for  irrigation.  Rice  requires 
so  much  water  that  nothing  can  be  done  satisfactorily  in 
the  way  of  raising  it  until  the  natural  supply  of  the  essen- 
tial commodity  can  be  supplemented. 

In  Fresno  county  experiments  have  been  tried  in  rais- 
ing coffee  with  a  good  degree  of  success. 
8* 


172  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Tea  has  also  been  tried  in  Santa  Barbara  county  and 
elsewhere.  Although  its  growth  has  been  proved  a  pos- 
sibility, it  may  well  be  doubted  if  it  can  be  cultivated 
with  profit  so  as  to  compete  with  China  and  Japan.  Labor 
is  so  much  dearer,  and  so  much  manipulation  is  required 
in  the  preparation  of  the  article,  that  the  cost  can  scarcely 
fail  to  be  greater  here  than  there. 

Increased  attention  is  being  given  to  the  dairy  business. 
The  yield  from  this  source  was  five  million  dollars  for  the 
year  1875.  The  business  is  found  to  be  profitable  in  what- 
ever part  of  the  State  it  has  been  attempted.  In  Marin 
county,  north  of  San  Francisco,  there  are  some  fine  dairies 
in  which  large  profits  are  made. 

At  present  there  is,  probably,  no  branch  of  business 
more  profitable  than  sheep  raising,  whether  tried  on  a 
large  or  a  small  scale.  A  man  who  has  sheep  has  also 
credit,  for  it  is  known  that  twice  in  the  year  he  is  sure 
of  turning  the  product  of  his  labor  and  care  into  gold; 
that  is,  in  those  parts  of  the  State  where  sheep  are  sheared 
both  spring  and  autumn.  The  chances  for  this  business  are 
better  in  the  northern  than  in  the  southern  portion  of  the 
country.  There  is  more  rain,  and  consequently  the  pastures 
do  not  dry  up  so  soon.  Humboldt  county  is  an  attractive 
point. 

Sheep  are  often  let  out  on  shares;  the  wool  and  the 
increase  being  divided  equally  between  the  owner  and  the 
one  who  takes  care  of  them.  Hence  in  this  business  a 
man  can  get  a  start  without  capital.  But  he  must  be 
willing  to  "  deny  himself."  For  the  time  being  he  will 
be  obliged  to  turn  hermit,  and  care  only  for  his  flock. 
He  must  be  with  them  by  day  and  near  them  by  night; 


A   CHAPTER   FOR   SETTLERS.  173 

and  if  he  goes  to  the  mountains  or  on  to  the  large  tracts 
of  unsold  government  lands,  it  will  involve  complete  iso- 
lation. It  is  estimated  that  one  man  can  care  for  two 
thousand  sheep.  The  profits  are  large  and  sure,  and  a 
man  may  comfort  himself  by  looking  forward  to  the  near 
future,  when  he  will  have  such  an  increase  of  means  as 
will  enable  him  to  make  other  arrangements  if  he  choose. 
With  good  care  the  increase  will  be  one  hundred  per  cent, 
per  annum,  and  there  will  be  the  wool  besides. 

The  most  desirable  way  of  emigrating  is  to  go  in 
colonies.  Take  your  friends  with  you  and  you  will  have 
society  that  suits  you,  and  will  thus  escape  the  longing 
and  disquietude  of  home-sickness.  Make  up  your  mind 
before  going  that  there  will  be  hardships  and  privations 
to  be  endured, —  there  must  always  be  in  breaking  up  old 
homes  and  establishing  new  ones,  especially  if  means  are 
not  abundant.  Go  in  the  fall,  early  enough  to  get  in  crops 
before  the  winter  rains  set  in;  and  be  sure  of  irater — 
whatever  else  you  lack,  see  to  it  that  you  have  this  sine 
qua  non.  With  it  you  can  raise  almost  anything  that 
grows  on  the  face  of  the  earth;  without  it  crops  will  be 
uncertain  and  failures  frequent.  Either  go  where  arti- 
ficial irrigation  is  not  necessary,  or  where  it  is  provided 
for  by  canals  and  artesian  wells.  These  wells  succeed 
wherever  tried,  and  on  account  of  the  constancy  of  the 
winds  they  are  easily  worked  by  means  of  windmills. 

There  is  also  great  demand  for  skilled  labor.  Mechan- 
ics and  artisans  will  find  abundant  occupation,  and  get 
good  wages.  San  Francisco  does  the  lion's  share  of  the 
manufacturing  executed  in  the  State.  With  a  population 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  the  returns  of  the  last 


174  TWO   TEAKS   IN   CALIFOKNIA. 

year  show  that  this  city  produced  nearly  three  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  manufactured  goods  per  capita.  The 
kinds,  number  and  amount  of  manufacturing  done  would 
surprise  those  whose  knowledge  has  not  kept  pace  with 
the  growth  of  the  city.  There  is  almost  no  limit  to  its 
industrial  development.  The  principal  drawbacks  are  the 
high  price  of  coal  and  iron.  The  cost  of  the  former 
ranges  from  nine  to  eighteen  dollars  per  ton,  giving  an 
average  of  about  twelve  dollars;  the  latter  is  at  present 
forty-six  dollars  per  ton. 

Do  not  establish  your  faith  and  found  your  expectation 
upon  any  basis  that  has  the  lottery-principle  for  its  support. 
Be  sure  that  there  are  many  prizes  and  but  few  blanks 
before  you  invest.  Three  crops  out  of  seven  will  not  do 
for  a  farmer. 

If  you  are  blessed  with  sufficient  pecuniary  means  to 
enable  you  to  live  comfortably,  and  go  to  California  for  the 
sake  of  having  a  pleasant  home  in  a  most  salubrious  and 
delightful  climate,  Oakland  or  its  vicinity  would  perhaps 
suit  you  better  than  any  other  part  of  the  State.  You 
would  there  miss  but  few,  if  any,  of  the  religious  and 
social  privileges  to  which  you  have  been  accustomed.  If 
the  lungs  are  not  quite  sound,  or  there  is  any  tendency  to 
sensitiveness  in  these  vital  organs,  go  further  from  the 
coast — to  San  Jos6,  or,  better  yet,  to  Santa  Barbara.  If 
climatic  conditions  alone  influence  your  choice,  undoubt- 
edly the  latter  place  is  the  one  to  which  you  should 
direct  your  steps. 

No  one  thing  was  more  of  a  surprise  to  the  writer  than 
the  security  there  seemed  to  be  to  life  and  property.  The 
influence  of  the  vigilance  committees  is  still  felt.     On  the 


,>v:^hW*^>v 


VERNAL  FALLS.    (350  feet  high.)    Pages  227,  228  and  229. 


A   CHAPTER   FOR   SETTLERS.  175 

two  ranches  described  elsewhere  the  doors  of  the  houses 
were  not  only  left  unfastened  at  night,  but  sometimes  wide 
open;  and  that  with  money  left  loosely  in  an  unoccupied 
room  below  stairs,  while  all  the  family  slept  above!  It 
was  only  by  drawing  bolts  and  turning  keys  in  the  doors 
of  the  particular  room  occupied  that  the  denizen  of 
eastern  towns  and  cities  could  be  sure  of  a  sufficient 
degree  of  safety  to  make  sleep  a  possibility.  Theft  seemed 
to  be  almost  an  unheard  of  thing  in  California. 

Another  of  the  notable  facts  is  the  attention  paid  to 
schools.  The  schoolmaster  is  abiioad  everywhere  in  the 
land.  The  best  house  in  the  small  towns  and  villages  is 
frequently  the  school-house.  The  public  schools  in  the 
larger  towns  and  cities  do  not  seem  to  be  one  whit  behind 
those  in  eastern  towns  and  cities.  Seminaries  for  girls 
are  quite  numerous,  and  many  of  them  well  conducted. 
The  oldest  in  the  State,  and  one  of  the  best,  is  in  Benicia, 
a  very  pleasant  town  on  the  straits  of  Carquinez.  In  the 
days  when  the  capital  of  the  State  was  peripatetic,  and 
the  quick-wittedness  of  school-boys  was  tested  by  their 
ability  to  answer  correctly  the  question.  What  is  the  cap- 
ital of  California?  Benicia  had  the  honor  of  being,  for  a 
season,  the  place  where  the  legislators  gathered  them- 
selves together. 

The  want  of  religious  privileges  is  sadly  felt  in  the 
rural  districts  and  thinly-populated  parts  of  the  country. 
The  influence  of  the  miners  and  early  settlers  was  not, 
and  is  not  now,  strongly  felt  in  favor  of  the  support  of 
churches  and  religious  ordinances.  Very  often  it  is  de- 
cidedly opposed.  The  Sabbath  is  a  holiday  when  visits 
are  made  and  social  enjoyments  sought  for.     Still,  in  these 


176  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

respects  there  is  constant  progress,  and  there  is  only  need 
of  the  helping  hands  of  those  who  go,  to  bring  about  a 
better  state  of  things. 

The  last  word  of  advice  to  would-be  settlers  is  this: 
If  you  wish  for  full  and  reliable  information  in  regard 
to  California  and  all  or  any  of  its  interests,  apply  for 
the  same  to  the  California  Immigrant  Union,  No.  328 
Montgomery  street,  San  Francisco,  and,  if  the  writer  may 
judge  from  her  own  experience,  you  will  be  served 
promptly,  amply,  and  without  cost. 


THE    CHINAMAN"    IN    CALIFORNIA,  177 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE     CHINAMAN     IN     CALIFORNIA. 

JOHN  CHINAMAN  is  too  important  an  institution  in 
California  to  be  dismissed  with  a  mere  passing  notice. 
There  is  no  question  connected  with  the  development  and 
present  condition  of  the  State  to  which  the  writer  gave 
more  patient  and  unprejudiced  attention  than  to  this. 
What  has  been  the  result  of  the  immense  emigration 
from  the  "Central  Flowery  Kingdom"  upon  the  material 
interests  of  the  Pacific  coast?  Have  these  almond-eyed 
laborers  been  a  help  or  a  hinderance?  Truthful  answers 
to  these  questions  were  sought  for  with  diligence,  and 
every  means  of  gaining  accurate  information  called  into 
requisition.  Personal  observation  and  competent  testi- 
mony were  arranged  side  by  side  and  compared.  Among 
intelligent  men  there  seemed  to  be  no  great  difference 
of  opinion  as  to  the  beneficial  results  of  their  labors  as 
railroad  builders,  as  miners,  as  gardeners,  as  agricultur- 
ists, and  as  assistants  in  manufacturing  establishments. 

As  to  their  emplojnnent  in  any  of  these  capacities, 
the  verdict  was  almost  always  in  their  favor.  That  with- 
out their  help  in  these  directions  the  natural  wealth  of 
California  could  not  have  reached  its  present  develop- 
ment in  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  come,  was  generally 
admitted. 

The  old  idea  that  Chinamen  are  specialists  and  imi- 
tators   only   has   generally   been   thrown    aside    by   those 


178  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

who  come  to  know  them  well.  There  is  need  of  but 
little  study  of  their  character  as  a  nation  to  show  that 
such  notions  of  the  Chinese  are  prima  fade  untrue. 

In  all  the  world's  history,  China  furnishes  the  sole 
and  only  example  of  a  nation  that  has  worked  out  its 
own  salvation  from  barbarism  and  come  up  unaided  into 
the  light  of  civilization.  Even  ancient  Egypt,  the  cradle 
of  the  sciences,  kindled  its  lights  at  the  hearth-stone  of 
the  race  in  western  Asia.  Greece  borrowed  light  from 
Egypt,  and  Borne  transferred  the  firmament,  all  ablaze 
with  light,  from  conquered  Greece  to  her  own  imperial 
realm.  But  China,  walled  in  by  a  cordon  that  Avas  almost 
impenetrable,  grew  up  from  a  barbarism  common  to  all 
the  nations  into  the  full  stature  of  a  civilized  country 
from  its  own  inherent  power  and  genius,  without  help 
from  abroad  or  any  imported  influence.  When  Buddhism 
was  introduced  into  China,  in  the  second  century  after 
Christ,  the  people  had  already  advanced  beyond  anything 
that  Buddhism  could  do  as  a  civilizer. 

Niebuhr  made  the  assertion  "  that  no  single  example 
can  be  brought  forward  of  an  actually  savage  people 
having  independently  become  civilized."  But  China  ac- 
complished this  impossibility  without  a  model  and  without 
a  helper.  What  no  European  nation  has  ever  done  this 
Asiatic  people  accomplished;  and  they  were  already  well 
advanced  in  their  progress  when  Greece  was  dimly  spell- 
ing out  its  alphabet  by  the  help  of  the  flickering  light 
brought  from  Egypt;  when  our  own  Saxon  ancestors  were 
clothed  in  skins  and  feeding  on  acorns;  and  when  they 
were  worshiping  Odin,  and  making  huge  wicker  images 
to   be   filled  with   smiling   babes   and    rollickinor   children 


THE   CHINAMAN  IN"  CALIFOENIA.  179 

taken  from  their  mothers'  arms  and  burned  in  honor  of 
their  god,  the  Chinese  were  already  living  in  houses,  obey- 
ing the  law  of  marriage,  draining  swamps,  clearing  jun- 
gles and  cultivating  the  ground  thus  reclaimed.  Without 
admitting  the  full  extent  of  their  claims  to  antiquity  as 
a  nation,  the  laws  of  evidence  require  us  to  accept  as  true 
the  words  found  in  their  annals,  dating  back  to  the  reign 
of  Puh-hi,  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-two  years 
before  Christ.  They  not  only  admit  their  original  barba- 
rism, but  show  by  historical  records  how  they  advanced,  step 
by  step,  from  the  starting-point.  Fuh-hi  himself  gave  a 
new  impulse  to  their  progress.  He  found  the  people  dwell- 
ing in  huts  and  caves,  clothed  in  skins  and  living  promis- 
cuously together.  He  left  them,  at  the  end  of  his  life  and 
reign,  occupying  better  houses,  wearing  better  clothing, 
eating  better  food,  and  obedient  to  the  law  of  marriage. 
In  the  second  century  after  Fuh-hi  the  cycle  of  sixty  years 
was  introduced  as  a  mode  of  computing  time,  and  has  been 
in  use  ever  since,  more  than  forty-five  centuries.  No  other 
chronological  era  ever  lasted  so  long.  Two  thousand  years 
before  Christ,  when  as  yet  Troy  and  Athens  were  not,  the 
Chinese  had  an  alphabet,  rude  to  be  sure,  but  still  suffi- 
cient for  a  purpose.  They  knew  the  properties  of  the 
arch,  observed  and  made  records  of  solar  eclipses,  used 
iron  in  the  construction  of  bridges,  and  had  some  practial 
knowledge  of  metallurgy,  specimens  in  the  workmanship 
of  which  have  come  down  to  the  present  day.  The  Chi- 
nese wall  was  built  two  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
There  is  a  story  current,  though  not  altogether  well  authen- 
ticated, that  eleven  centuries  before  the  beginning  of  our 
Christian  era  a  chariot  was  presented  to  certain  ambassa- 
9 


180  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

dors  which  had  box-compasses  fitted  to  the  wheels  to  direct 
them  on  their  homeward  way.  Whether  this  be  true  or 
not,  there  is  proof  that  the  loadstone,  and  its  power  to 
affect  iron,  was  known  to  the  Chinese  long  before  the  com- 
ing of  Christ.  The  daily  newspaper,  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  look  upon  as  a  modern  invention,  is  an  old,  old 
story  in  China.  The  Pekin  "Gazette"  has  for  five  hun- 
dred years  been  making  its  daily  round  throughout  the 
empire.  It  is  an  ofiicial  paper,  and  upon  all  subjects 
represents  the  opinions  of  the  Government.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  cold  weather,  or  of  the  opposite,  the  high- 
est officer  or  viceroy  in  the  province  assumes  the  winter 
or  summer  cap,  as  the  case  may  be;  the  circumstance  is 
noticed  in  the  "Gazette,"  and  is  a  signal  for  every  man 
under  the  government  of  said  viceroy  to  make  the  same 
change.  In  this  way  everything  of  which  it  is  desirable 
for  the  people  to  take  cognizance  is  noticed.  The  "  Gazette  " 
is  racy  and  spicy,  but  in  one  respect  must  be  quite  in 
contrast  with  some  journals  that  we  wot  of;  everything 
must  be  true  that  appears  in  its  columns,  and  the  Chi- 
nese Jenkinses  can  say  nothing  of  ladies !  They  are  an  im- 
ponderable force  in  this  empire,  and  unworthy  of  notice. 
After  the  time  of  Confucius  the  advance  of  the  nation 
was  more  rapid  than  before.  Among  all  the  sons  of  men 
there  has  been  no  more  wonderful  man  than  Confucius; 
no  other  whose  influence  has  been  so  lasting  and  so  far- 
reaching.  Twenty-five  centuries  have  only  served  to  ex- 
tend the  range  of  his  influence  and  increase  its  power. 
During  all  these  centuries  his  teachings  have  molded  the 
character  and  governed  the  lives  of  the  most  populous  na- 
tion the  world  has  ever  known.     There  is  still  no  sign  of 


THE   CHIN'AMAN'  IN"   CALIFORNIA.  181 

desuetude  in  the  customs  he  established  and  the  principles 
he  taught.  When  a  foreign  dynasty  seated  itself  upon  a 
conquered  throne  the  systems  of  the  conquerors  were 
thrown  aside,  and  the  moral  science  and  civil  polity  of  the 
conquered  were  accepted  in  their  stead.  Therein  was  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  Romans,  who  took  for  their 
school-masters  the  very  people  whose  national  life  they  had 
extinguished.  Confucius  was  born  in  the  year  550  before 
Christ.     Pope  says  of  him: 

"Superior  and  alone  Confucius  stood, 
Who  taught  that  useful  science,  to  be  good." 

No  higher  morality  can  be  inculcated  than  he  exacts. 
Among  the  great  teachers  that  have  come  into  the  world 
he  is  second  only  to  Him  "  who  spake  as  never  man  spake." 
The  difference  between  the  former  and  the  latter  is  the  dif- 
ference between  the  perfect  skeleton  clothed  upon  with 
flesh  and  blood,  with  muscle,  sinew  and  integument,  yet 
wanting  vitality;  wanting  the  informing  soul  and  the  liv- 
ing, breathing,  moving  being,  having  all  the  former  attri- 
butes and  added  thereto  the  immortal  spirit.  Confucius 
taught  the  "  form  of  godliness,"  but  it  was  lacking  in  power 
because  the  spirit  was  wanting.  He  drew  his  motives  from 
well-being  in  this  life  only,  never  referring  to  the  Divine 
sanction  or  the  rewards  of  immortality. 

"  What  you  do  not  want  done  to  yourself  do  not  to  oth- 
ers," he  says,  putting  into  the  negative  form  the  "golden 
rule,"  which  we  have  had  from  a  higher  Master.  "  When 
you  know  a  thing,  to  hold  that  you  know  it,  and  when  you 
do  not  know  it,  to  allow  that  you  do  not;  this  is  knowledge." 
A  kind  of  knowledge  for  which  none  is  the  worse  for  being 
the  possessor. 


182  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

But  Confucius  made  no  pretensions  to  being  a  religious 
teacher.  On  the  contrary,  he  expressly  acknowledges  his 
inability  to  give  instructions  in  regard  to  a  future  state  or 
anything  that  concerned  men  after  death.  He  said:  "I  do 
not  know  what  life  is ;  how  then  can  I  explain  death  or  de- 
clare what  comes  after?"  The  results  are  what  might  be 
expected  from  the  character  of  the  instruction.  While  the 
Chinese  have  advanced  steadily  in  material  prosperity,  in 
coherence  as  a  nation  and  in  the  knowledge  and  applica- 
tion of  the  useful  arts,  they  have  been,  and  are,  spiritually 
dead. 

One  of  the  chief  misfortunes  that  resulted  from  Confu- 
cius' ignorance  of  the  Creator,  and  his  plans  and  purposes 
in  the  creation  of  man,  was  the  false  position  he  assigned  to 
woman.  The  consequences  of  error  always  fall  most  heav- 
ily upon  those  who  are  the  least  able  to  resist  them.  There- 
fore women  have  been,  and  are,  the  great  sufferers  on  ac- 
count of  his  mistake.  Confucius  did  not  place  woman  on 
a  common  throne  as  the  equal  of  man  —  his  consoler  and 
inspirer;  only  Christ  did  that.  He  made  her  the  hand- 
maid of  man,  to  minister  to  his  pleasure  and  have  for 
her  "  sphere "  whatever  he  did  not  want  to  do  ;  this  was 
the  vitiating  principle  in  the  Confucian  system.  As  the 
fountain  cannot  rise  higher  than  its  source,  the  son  can 
never  rise  very  much  above  his  mother.  Therefore  the 
status  of  woman  is  the  true  index  to  the  grade  of  civil- 
ization. What  Confucius  thought  of  women,  and  what  the 
character  of  his  instructions  was,  may  be  judged  by  the 
following  extracts  from  his  teachings: 

"Moreover,  that  you  have  not  iu  this  life  been  born  a  male  ia  owing  to 
your  amount  of  wickedness,  heaped  up  in  a  previous  state  of  existence,  hav- 


THE   CHINAMAN    IN   CALIFORNIA.  183 

ing  been  both  deep  and  weighty ;  you  would  not  then  desire  to  adorn  virtue, 
to  hc;ip  up  good  actious,  and  Icaru  to  do  well !  So  that  you  now  have  been 
haplessly  born  a  female!  And  if  you  do  not  this  second  time  specially 
amend  your  faults,  this  amount  of  wickedness  of  yours  will  be  getting  both 
deeper  and  weightier,  so  that  it  is  to  be  feared  in  the  next  state  of  exist- 
ence, even  if  you  should  wish  for  a  male's  body,  yet  it  will  be  very  difficult 
to  get  it!" 

"  You  must  know  that  for  a  woman  to  be  witliout  talent  is  a  virtue  on 
her  part." 

"No  one  desires  that  your  naturm  should  be  intelligent,  or  your  abili- 
ties of  a  high  order.  They  only  wish  that  your  disposition  be  mild  and 
obedient,  and  that,  in  looking  after  matters,  you  be  diligent  and  economi- 
cal." 

"Wives!  ye  cannot  but  impress  these  words  upon  your  memories.  In  the 
male  to  be  firm,  and  the  female  to  be  flexible,  is  what  reason  points  out  as 
a  proper  rule." 

Talkativeness  on  the  part  of  the  wife  was  among  the 
justifiable  causes  for  divorce.  If,  as  some  people  suppose, 
the  punishments  of  the  other  world  bear  some  relation  to 
the  errors  of  this,  may  it  not  be  that  the  spirit  of  this 
long-departed  reformer  is  compelled  to  be  one  of  the  in- 
visible throng  who  wait  upon  the  lectures  of  Mrs.  Stanton, 
Miss  Anthony,  and  others  of  that  ilk?  What  repentings 
he  must  experience,  what  fearful  self-reproach!  The  very 
corner-stone  of  the  system  of  Confucius  was  obedience  to 
properly  constituted  authority.  The  will  of  the  parent 
was  supreme;  while  life  lasted,  the  child  was  subject  to 
it,  no  matter  what  age  was  reached.  Then,  by  parity  of 
reasoning,  as  was  the  father  to  the  family,  so  was  the 
emperor  to  the  nation:  the  same  obedience  that  was  due 
from  the  son  to  the  father  was  due  from  all  the  people 
to  the  emperor;  he  is  their  father,  and  they  are  his  chil- 
dren. In  this  submission,  this  habit  of  obedience,  is  the 
secret  of  the  stability  of  the  government,  and  the  long 
continuance  of  the  empire. 


184  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

Such  are  the  people  that  come  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
such  are  the  formulas  which  have  molded  their  characters, 
and  by  which  they  have  been  governed.  Obedience  and 
fidelity  are  the  two  leading  traits  of  the  Chinaman  at  home. 

"They  touch  our  country,  and — " 

do  their  characters  change  ? 

R.  W.  Raymond,  United  States  commissioner  on  mining 
statistics,  etc.,  in  an  official  report  says:  "The  Chinese  put 
but  little  faith  in  the  promises  of  employers,  and  are  apt  to 
stop  if  not  promptly  paid.  They  are  the  most  reasonable 
in  the  matter  of  wages,  and  the  most  unreasonably  exact, 
in  the  matter  of  payment,  of  all  our  laborers.  Chinese 
skilled  miners  are  quite  equal  to  those  of  any  other  race. 
In  some  instances  they  surpass  white  men  employed  in  the 
same  mines.  The  greatest  superiority  of  good  Chinese 
miners  over  European  miners  is  their  fidelity.  It  is  cer- 
tainly true  that  they  are  far  more  earnest  and  faithful 
than  any  other  miners.  In  every  department  they  enjoy 
the  universal  reputation  of  conscientious  fidelity.  Apart 
from  every  other  advantage  or  disadvantage  attendant  upon 
their  employment,  apart  from  the  discrepancy  of  wages 
even,  this  one  attribute  of  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the 
employer  will  certainly  carry  the  day  for  the  almond-eyed 
laborers,  if  our  white  workmen  do  not  recognize  the  danger 
in  which  they  stand,  and  avert  it  by  more  sensible  means 
than  they  have  yet  used." 

Upon  this  one  point  of  fidelity  to  instructions  the  testi- 
mony among  employers  was  quite  uniform,  no  matter  what 
differences  of  opinion  there  might  be  in  regard  to  other 
matters.     The  stories  with  which  we  have  been  entertained 


THE    CHINAMAN    IN   CALIFORNIA.  185 

in  regard  to  Chinamen  copying  even  the  imperfections  and 
blemishes  in  a  model,  such  as  putting  a  patch  on  the  elbow 
of  a  new  coat  because  there  was  one  on  the  old  one,  but 
illustrate  this  characteristic.  Their  work  must  be  exactly 
like  the  prototype  which  is  placed  before  them. 

A  pleasant-voiced,  nice-looking  Chinaman  was  employed 
as  chambermaid  (if  the  solecism  may  be  permitted),  in  one 
of  the  beautiful  homes  in  Oakland.  He  belonged  to  quite 
a  retinue  of  servants,  a  half-dozen  or  more,  and  was  the 
only  Asiatic.  The  others  were  all  Europeans,  and  trained 
for  the  particular  department  in  which  he  or  she  was  em- 
ployed. But  it  was  the  testimony  of  the  lady  of  the 
house  that  none  of  the  others  at  all  equaled  the  almond- 
eyed  chambermaid  in  the  faithfulness  and  perfection  of  the 
service  performed.  After  once  becoming  familiar  with  the 
routine  of  his  duties  he  needed  no  oversight  or  attention. 
On  the  day  that  the  drawing-room  was  to  be  swept  and 
garnished  he  did  it,  and  did  it  so  perfectly  that  the  most 
exacting  requirement  was  fully  met.  And  so  of  the  parlor, 
the  library  and  the  bed-chambers.  He  was  never  idle, 
never  absent,  never  forgetful.  Whoever  else  might  be 
away  from  his  post,  he  was  always  at  his  —  "Faithful 
found  among  the  faithless." 

It  was  the  testimony  of  the  owner  of  a  fruit  ranch 
who  had  for  a  dozen  years  or  more  employed  from  six 
to  fifteen  Chinamen  constantly,  that  he  would  not  have 
any  other  laborers,  for  when  he  told  a  Chinaman  to  do  a 
thing  he  knew  that  it  would  be  done,  and  done  exactly 
as  he  directed  —  an  assurance  that  he  would  not  feel  in 
regard  to  any  other  laborers. 

This  characteristic  of  faithfulness   extends  to  and  in- 


186  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

eludes  all  contracts  and  bargains.  The  Chinese  merchants 
in  San  Francisco  import  thirty  million  dollars'  worth  of 
goods  annually.  This  large  business  is  conducted  uni- 
formly upon  such  correct  business  principles,  with  such 
regard  to  promptness  in  meeting  liabilities,  and  attention 
to  all  the  terms  and  conditions  of  contracts,  that  the 
credit  of  no  class  of  business  men  in  that  city  stands 
higher,  if  so  high.  They  have  not  yet  learned  to  be  bank- 
rupt and  yet  rich,  and  so  to  put  themselves  before  the 
eyes  of  the  law  as  to  have  nothing  and  still  seem  to  pos- 
sess all  things  that  they  need, 

A  man  who  has  lived  more  than  twenty  years  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  had  to  do  with  Chinamen  in  almost  every  ca- 
pacity, as  laborers,  as  renters,  as  transactors  of  business 
generally,  declared  that  he  had  never  yet  lost  a  dollar  by 
a  Chinaman.  When  a  Chinaman  engaged  to  do  a  thing, 
or  to  pay  a  price,  there  need  be  no  anxiety  —  he  would 
surely  do  it. 

That  he  is  not  a  specialist  and  confined  to  one  thing 
or  kind  of  labor  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  in  a  multi- 
tude of  families  a  Chinaman  is  the  factotum  —  the  maid- 
of-all-work.  He  bakes  and  broils,  he  sweeps  and  dusts, 
he  washes  and  irons,  and  does  the  multitude  of  things 
required  of  a  servant  where  but  a  single  one  is  em- 
ployed. Although  often  serving  as  cook  even  in  hotels, 
the  evidence  acquired  on  the  subject  is  not  sufiicient  to 
convince  at  least  one  observer  that  in  this  department 
John  excels.  Only  in  a  single  case  was  there  seen  any 
proof  of  unusual  tact  or  uncommon  skill. 

In  the  year  1870  it  was  estimated  that  one  hundred 
and   forty   thousand   Chinamen   had   come   to   the    Pacific 


-/^f 


mm  r '    \ 


THE  YOSEMITE  FALLS.    Pages  214,  221  and  222. 


THE    CHINAMAN    IN    CALIFOKNIA.  187 

coast,  and  of  these  ninety-five  thousand  remained.  And 
still  they  come.  In  1875  eighteen  thousand  arrived,  the 
largest  number  that  ever  came  in  a  single  year. 

There  are  six  Chinese  companies  in  San  Francisco, 
each  having  its  own  organization,  its  own  officers,  and 
its  own  place  of  meeting.  These  are  in  some  sense  mu- 
tual aid  societies.  Chinamen  can  do  as  they  please  about 
joining  them,  but  so  great  are  the  advantages  of  doing 
so  that  almost  every  one  connects  himself  with  one  or 
another.  The  initiation  fee  is  from  five  to  ten  dollars. 
There  are  some  incidental  expenses,  so  that  the  entire 
cost  of  membership  for  ten  years  is  from  fifty  to  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  A  member  may  dissolve  his  connection  with 
the  company  to  which  he  belongs  at  his  pleasure.  In  re- 
turn for  what  the  member  pays,  the  company  take  care 
of  him  if  sick,  rescue  him,  if  possible,  when  in  danger, 
and  feed  him  when  he  is  out  of  employment.  No  mat- 
ter where  he  goes,  or  how  far  away,  his  company  is  still 
bound  to  care  for  him.  If  he  is  oppressed  or  wronged 
in  any  way,  and  makes  complaint,  he  must  be  looked 
after  and  his  wrongs  righted.  When  a  member  wishes 
to  return  to  China,  a  certain  number  of  days  before  he 
expects  to  start  he  must  report  hiinself  to  the  company 
to  which  he  belongs  and  state  his  intention.  The  books 
of  the  company  are  searched  to  see  if  he  owes  any  man 
anything;  notice  is  also  sent  to  the  other  companies  to 
learn  if  there  is  anything  against  him  on  their  records, 
and  he  must  have  a  clearance  before  he  can  leave  the 
country.  It  is  the  custom,  therefore,  if  a  Chinaman  owes 
a  debt,  and  there  is  any  difiiculty  in  collecting  it,  to  send 
notice  to  the  company  of  which  he  is  a  member,  who  see 


188  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

that  he  pays  it,  at  least  before  he  leaves  the  State.  Each 
company  has  a  hospital  for  the  benefit  of  its  members, 
and  some  of  them  have  temples  for  religious  service. 

The  Chinese  have  many  festivals  and  holidays;  but  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  find  out  what  day  they  celebrate,  or 
why  it  is  observed.  There  are  very  few  who  understand 
English  well  enough  to  make  explanations.  When  asked 
about  the  nature  of  a  holiday,  the  almost  uniform  answer 
is,  "All  the  same  as  'Melican  man's  Fourth  of  July." 
Fourth  of  July  seems  to  stand  to  them  as  a  generic  term 
for  holiday.  But  when  their  new  year  begins,  there  is  no 
trouble  in  ascertaining  what  they  are  about,  or  why  they 
eat  and  are  merry.  This  is  the  chief  of  their  holidays,  and 
is  celebrated  with  much  parade  and  rejoicing.  Their  new 
year  is  a  week  in  beginning,  and  sometimes  extends  over 
ten  days.  Like  Easter,  it  is  a  movable  festival,  and,  also 
like  Easter,  its  commencement  depends  upon  a  certain 
conjunction  of  the  sun  and  moon.  The  Chinese  new  year 
begins  with  the  first  new  moon  after  the  sun  enters  the 
sign  of  Aquarius,  and  may  come  at  any  time  between  the 
twenty-first  of  January  and  the  eighteenth  of  February. 
The  beginning  of  the  new  year  is  a  grand  event,  and  is 
prepared  for  with  great  industry  and  parade.  Some  of 
the  customs  connected  with  this  season  would  bear  trans- 
planting, and  would  work  no  detriment  to  those  who 
claim  a  higher  style  of  civilization.  Business  men  over- 
haul their  books  and  close  up  all  accounts;  no  debts 
can  go  over  and  stand  upon  the  records  of  the  new  year. 
Great  effort  is  made  among  debtors  to  pay  up;  but  if  it 
is  found  to  be  impossible,  the  debt  is  cancelled  and  the 
debtor   goes   free.     But   his   credit   is   gone,   and   for   the 


THE   CHIIfAMAN   IN   CALIFORNIA.  189 

future  he  is  a  dishonored  man.  Nothing  can  wipe  out  his 
disgrace  but  the  honorable  payment  of  the  debt  after  he 
is  no  longer  liable  for  it.  Everything,  also,  is  put  into  a 
state  of  perfect  cleanliness.  Houses  are  scrubbed  and  put 
into  the  best  possible  order;  all  garments  are  made  as 
clean  and  pure  as  soap  and  water,  with  a  liberal  expendi- 
ture of  muscular  power,  can  make  them.  It  is  a  time  of 
suffering  and  death  among  pigs  and  poultry,  for  to  these 
two  orders  of  land  animals  Chinamen  confine  their  atten- 
tion. They  have  much  affection  for  fish,  and  freely  in- 
dulge their  taste  for  them.  All  work  is  given  up,  and  a 
general  carnival  prevails.  So  far  as  outside  show  is  con- 
cerned, the  jollification  consists  mainly  in  the  explosion  of 
fire-crackers.  The  authorities  of  San  Francisco  tried  to 
confine  this  performance  to  a  single  day;  but  although 
there  is  more  of  it  done  on  the  first  day  than  any  time 
afterward,  the  practice  is  continued  through  the  whole 
series  of  days.  The  usual  economy  of  the  Chinese  seems 
to  be  thrown  to  the  winds  on  this  festive  occasion.  They 
go  up  into  the  verandahs  and  upper  stoi-ies  of  their 
houses,  and  after  igniting  the  crackers  throw  down  bunch 
after  bunch,  which  explode  on  the  pavement  below,  and 
keep  up  such  frequent  detonations  that  the  eftect  is  like 
that  of  a  constant  discharge  of  artillery.  By  the  time 
night  comes  the  pavement  will  be  soft  to  the  feet,  from 
the  abundance  of  the  fragments  of  the  exploded  fire- 
crackers, and  the  feeling  is  like  that  of  walking  on 
feathers.  Men  who  do  business  to  the  amount  of  many 
thousands  of  dollars  engage  with  apparent  zest  in  this, 
to   us,    childish    amusement.     Of  course   this   fire-cracker 


190  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

burning  is  confined  to  the  parts  of  the  city  especially 
appropriated  to  the  Chinese. 

The  Chinese  theatres  are  in  full  blast  all  through  the 
holidays.  The  doors  are  opened  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  the  play  begins  soon  after.  An  intermission 
at  noon  gives  time  for  dinner;  after  which  the  play  is 
resumed,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  couple  of  hours  — 
from  five  to  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  —  it  is  continued 
until  eleven.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  considered  essential 
to  hear  the  whole  play;  but  the  spectators  come  and  go 
to  suit  their  convenience,  apparently  well  satisfied  with 
the  snatches  they  get  in  that  way.  During  these  holidays 
the  Chinese  women  are  allowed  the  privilege  of  attending 
the  theatre.  The  gallery  is  reserved  for  them,  where 
they  sit  entirely  separate  from  the  men.  They  do  not, 
however,  take  any  part  in  the  performance.  The  roles 
which  should  be  taken  by  women  are  assumed  by  men. 
The  dress  is  very  gorgeous,  and  is  said  to  be  after  the 
cut  and  fashion  in  use  in  China  before  the  country  was 
conquered  by  the  present  reigning  sovereigns,  the  Mant- 
choo  Tartars.  This  conquest  took  place  two  hundred  years 
ago,  and  at  that  time  the  people  were  compelled  by  the 
conquerors  to  assume  their  present  costume,  including  the 
shaving  of  the  head,  except  the  part  on  the  top,  which 
furnishes  the  hair  for  the  long  cue,  which  they  still  so 
universally  wear. 

The  Chinese  have  not  advanced  beyond  the  ruder  stages 
of  the  "mimic  ai't."  They  borrow  no  aid  from  scenery, 
and  have  no  division  into  acts  and  scenes.  When  a  play 
once  begins,  it  keeps  right  on  to  the  far-off  end.  There 
are    no    curtains,  which    involves    the    necessity  of   doing 


THE   CHINAMAN   IN   CALIFORNIA.  191 

whatevex-  is  done  openly  —  in  the  very  face  and  eyes  of 
the  audience.  A  man  is  killed  in  a  combat,  or  is  decap- 
itated in  obedience  to  an  official  sentence.  The  poor  de- 
funct lies  dead  upon  the  stage  until  he  gets  tired  of  his 
deadness,  when  he  gets  up  and  deliberately  walks  off, 
without  even  having  the  grace  to  carry  his  head  in  his 
hand. 

But  of  the  appointments  of  a  Chinese  theatre,  the 
music  is  what  lingers  longest  in  the  memory.  The  or- 
chestra consists  of  a  row  of  men,  who  sit  on  the  stage 
back  of  the  performers.  Each  one  is  armed  and  equipped 
with  the  instrument  that  will  make  the  greatest  possible 
noise.  Gongs,  cymbals,  and  many  strange  instruments 
with  unknown  names,  but  of  wonderful  capacity,  make  up 
the  collection.  The  efforts  of  the  performers  are  never 
intermitted.  When  the  stage-actors  wax  warm,  and  show 
their  excitement  by  increased  loudness  of  tone  and  more 
exaggerated  action,  the  sympathy  of  the  musicians  is  ex- 
hibited by  intensified  effort;  the  gongs  thunder,  the  cym- 
bals reverberate,  and  all  the  instruments  seem  to  do  their 
best  to  outdo  any  Pandemonium  of  which  the  most  im- 
aginative ever  dreanied.  If  one  can  go  to  a  Chinese  the- 
atre and  not  have  his  ears  tingle  for  a  week  after,  he 
must  have  put  his  nerves  to  sleep  beforehand  with  some 
powerful  anodyne.  Yet  go  by  all  means.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  Chinese  quarter  in  San  Francisco  that  pays  so 
well. 

The  temples,  also,  are  places  much  resorted  to  during 
these  holidays.  Of  these  there  are  several  in  San  Francisco, 
but  one  outshines  all  the  others  in  the  number  of  its  gods 
and  the   grandeur  of   its  appointments.      All   are   Bud- 


192  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

dhist  temples,  Buddhism  being  the  religion  of  the  common 
people,  to  which  class  the  Chinese  who  come  to  this  country 
generally  belong.  The  most  noted  temple  was  fitted  up  by 
Dr.  Li-po-tai,  a  distinguished  physician  in  San  Francisco, 
with  the  aid  of  other  rich  Chinamen.  The  Chinese  show 
the  same  disregard  to  show  and  outside  appearances  here 
that  they  are  said  to  at  home.  These  temples  are  in  alleys 
that  are  absolutely  frightful  in  the  character  of  their 
buildings  and  the  people.  The  best  temple  is  in  the  third 
story  of  a  brick  building,  to  which  access  is  gained  by 
an  outside,  rickety  stairs,  that  shakes  under  the  tread. 
There  are  numerous  gods  and  goddesses  in  the  temple, 
some  fourteen  or  fifteen  in  all  in  the  different  apartments. 
In  one  corner  of  the  room  first  entered  a  gong  is  placed, 
over  which  a  bell  is  suspended.  Near  these  is  an  oven  in 
which  prayers  and  gifts  are  burned,  or  rather  the  repre- 
sentatives of  prayers  and  gifts  printed  on  paper,  and 
bought  of  a  priest  who  has  a  room  near  by.  As  these 
papers  are  lighted  and  put  into  the  oven,  the  gong  is 
struck  and  the  bell  rung  to  call  the  attention  of  the  spirits 
who  are  to  receive  them  to  the  offerings  made. 

The  Chinese  gods  and  goddesses  were  all  once  living 
persons  who  performed  some  worthy  deed  for  which  they 
have  been  deified.  In  the  main  room  of  the  temple  there 
are  thi-ee  gods,  life  size,  sitting  behind  an  altar.  The  cen- 
tral one  is  Joss,  the  supreme  deity.  The  one  on  his  left 
is  the  god  of  war,  the  special  patron  of  the  Ning  Yung 
company,  one  of  the  six  companies  already  described.  His 
name  is  Rwau  Tae.  He  lived  about  sixteen  hundred  years 
ago,  and  his  history  shows  that  the  Chinese  have  both  the 
power  to  do  and  appreciate  what  is  generous  and  noble. 


THE  CHINAMAN  IN  CALIFORNIA.  193 

Rwau  Tae  was  a  soldier  and  a  commander  in  early  life, 
and  was  almost  always  victorious  when  engaged  in  battle. 
He  was  also  kind  and  merciful,  as  well  as  brave,  and  con- 
quered the  hearts  of  his  enemies  by  love  and  kindness  after 
he  had  conquered  thera  in  war.  When  the  strife  was 
over  he  resigned  his  command.  The  Emperor  was  his 
personal  friend,  and  importuned  him  to  accept  civil  office, 
but  Rwau  Tae  refused.  He  joined  the  order  of  Devoted 
Brothers,  whose  business  it  was  to  tend  the  sick,  to  heal  the 
wounded,  and  to  succor  the  distressed.  In  a  few  years  a 
rebellion  broke  out  in  the  empire,  and  like  another  Cin- 
cinnatus,  Rwau  Tae  was  called  from  his  retirement  to  com- 
mand the  army  of  the  empire  and  save  the  country.  He 
succeeded  in  suppressing  the  rebellion,  the  rebels  were 
defeated,  but  the  leader  escaped  and  a  large  price  was 
offered  to  any  one  who  would  bring  him  dead  or  alive  to 
the  Emperor.  All  subjects  were  also  forbidden  to  harbor 
or  help  him  in  any  way. 

Rwau  Tae  returned  to  the  brotherhood  and  again  de- 
voted himself  to  works  of  mercy  and  charity.  One  day 
there  came  to  him  a  poor  man,  who  was  sick,  wounded, 
ragged,  and  in  need  of  all  things.  Rwau  Tae  recognized  in 
him  the  leader  of  the  rebellion,  but  feeling  that  the  claim 
of  humanity  was  superior  even  to  the  command  of  the 
Emperor,  he  took  him  in  and  healed  his  wounds,  relieved 
his  distresses,  and,  when  he  had  fully  recovered,  sent  him  on 
his  way  with  the  means  to  supply  his  future  wants.  Then 
he  put  his  own  affairs  in  order,  arranged  his  property  and 
estates,  went  and  confessed  his  disobedience  to  the  Emperor, 
gave  himself  up  to  suffer  the  penalty  of  the  violated  law, 
and  was  beheaded.    But  while  the  Emperor  would  not  suffer 


194  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

a  broken  law  to  go  unavengea,  he  could  appreciate  the  fine 
humanity  of  the  :nan  and  his  honorable  regard  for  his 
duty  as  a  subject.  He,  therefore,  ordered  his  name  to  be 
added  to  the  nation's  list  of  deified  heroes,  and  he  has  ever 
since  been  worshiped  as  a  god. 

The  goddess  of  mercy  is  in  another  room  in  the  temple 
above  mentioned.  This  image  was  brought  from  China 
three  or  four  years  ago,  by  Dr.  Li-po-tai,  at  a  cost  of  eight 
thousand  dollars.  The  story  about  her  is  this:  She  was  a 
fine  young  woman,  who,  to  escape  a  disagreeable  marriage, 
left  her  father's  home  and  took  refuge  in  the  house  of  a 
religious  sisterhood.  Her  father  burned  the  buildings,  but 
her  prayers  saved  the  occupants.  She  has  it  for  her  Ixjnev- 
olent  mission  in  the  other  world  to  look  after  the  «ouls 
of  those  who  have  no  friends  here,  or  who  have  friends 
that  are  unmindful  and  negligent. 

This  goddess  is  arrayed  quite  gorgeously,  and  has  dia- 
monds in  her  eyes  for  pupils,  and  a  diamond  in  the  center 
of  her  forehead.  She  is  very  popular  among  the  Chinese 
and  has  many  supplications  made  before  her. 

In  one  corner  of  a  remote  room  in  the  temple  there 
stands  the  most  cadaverous,  woe-begone,  forsaken-looking 
being  that  could  possibly  be  imagined.  It  is  a  man  who 
has  lost  his  soul !  He  brought  this  calamity  on  himself  by 
some  misdoing  in  this  life.  He  is  constantly  in  pursuit 
of  this  lost  soul,  and  sometimes  is  just  on  the  eve  of  grasp- 
ing it  when  it  eludes  him,  and  he  still  goes  on  in  the 
restless  search. 

There  is  no  stated  hour  for  worship  in  the  temple.  The 
Chinamen  come  in  at  their  pleasure  or  convenience,  and  go 
the  rounds  of  the  gods  and  goddesses,  joining  their  hands 


ALLEY  IN  CHINESE  QUARTER,  SAN  FRANCISCO.      Page  192. 


THE  CHIl>rAMAN   IN   CALIFORNIA.  195 

in  front  and  bowing  three  times  before  each.  Incense 
sticks  are  constantly  burning,  and  the  air  is  loaded  with 
perfume.  Colored  candles,  sometimes  a  yard  or  more  in 
length,  are  burned  before  the  idols.  These  are  the  offer- 
ings of  different  individuals. 

9* 


196  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTEE  XIV. 

A    TRIP    TO    THE    TOSEMITE. 

THE  Yosemite  valley  is  in  a  straight  line  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  San  Francisco.  The 
direction  is  a  little  south  of  east;  by  any  road  that  can 
be  traveled  the  distance  is  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  It  is  near  the  center  of  the  State,  taking  it  length- 
wise, and  near  the  center  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  range  of 
mountains,  taking  it  from  east  to  west.  The  range  in  this 
place  is  about  seventy  miles  wide. 

"We,  a  party  of  nine,  took  our  seats  in  the  cars,  at  the 
end  of  the  ferry  across  the  bay  from  San  Francisco,  on 
the  afternoon  of  a  June  day,  when  June  days  are  long- 
est. Modisto  was  the  terminus  of  the  railroad,  and  we 
spent  the  night  there,  and  took  the  stage  at  five  o'clock 
the  next  morning.  We  had  our  first  look  at  the  Tuo- 
lumne river  just  after  starting. 

All  the  morning  our  road  was  through  the  San  Joa- 
quin valley.  A  more  dreary,  desolate,  forsaken-looking  re- 
gion cannot  well  be  conceived.  One  of  ihe  most  fertile  and 
fruitful  parts  of  the  State  when  blessed  with  a  plentiful 
supply  of  water,  it  now,  in  consequence  of  excessive  drouth, 
seemed  to  have  the  very  pith  and  marrow  dried  out  of  it. 
When  we  came  to  Snelling,  on  the  Merced,  we  looked 
eagerly  at  the  river.  It  was  our  first  chance  to  see  this 
"  river  of  Mercy."  It  was  running  along  quite  demurely 
on  its  way  to  find  the  San  Joaquin,  and  seemed  altogether 


A  TRIP  TO  THE  TOSEMITE.  197 

unconscious  of  the  wonderful  interest  it  excited  further  up 
and  nearer  its  source. 

After  passing  through  Bear  Valley  we  entered  upon  the 
celebrated  Mariposa  tract  and  crossed  it  diagonally.  Ev- 
erywhere there  were  signs  of  gold-digging,  which  makes 
sad  havoc  with  a  country,  whether  looked  at  from  an  aes- 
thetic or  agricultural  point  of  view. 

This  Mariposa  grant  originally  comprised  seventy  square 
miles,  and  at  one  time  was  said  to  make  John  C.  Fremont 
the  richest  private  citizen  in  the  world.  The  lawyers  have 
probably  reaped  the  greater  part  of  the  golden  harvest  it 
has  produced.  Litigation  in  regard  to  it  has  been  constant 
and  continued  for  many  years. 

As  the  day  wore  on  we  had  more  interest  in  the  way  of 
scenery.  There  were  valleys  with  oaks  and  pines  scattered 
here  and  there,  and  hills  the  sides  of  which  were  covered 
with  chaparral,  or  "devil's  acres,"  as  it  is  somewhat  pro- 
fanely called.  Chaparral  is  a  generic  term  used  some- 
what in  the  sense  of  thicket.  A  chaparral  is  generally 
made  up  of  bushes  of  various  species,  such  as  the  Cali- 
fornia lilac,  grease-wood  and  other  shrubs. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  when  we  reached  White  and  Hatch's. 
Pleasant  haven  of  rest!  The  blessing  of  many  a  weary 
traveler  has  been  bestowed  upon  this  house,  in  considera- 
tion of  the  comfort  and  refreshment  enjoyed  within  its 
walls.  How  clean  and  cool  everything  looked!  Were 
there  ever  beds  so  restful!  It  was  worth  while  to  be  so 
tired  in  order  to  know  the  blessedness  of  repose  so  de- 
lightful. 

In  the  morning  we  had  a  chance  to  appreciate  the 
sylvan  beauty  of  the  place.      There  was   a  hill    near,  on 


198  TWO  TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

which  were  huge  rocks  overgrown  with  moss.  There  were 
dark  pines  and  fir  trees  on  every  side,  which  seemed  to 
emulate  each  other  in  trying  which  could  reach  its  head 
nearest  to  heaven.  The  sky  wore  a  much  more  benign 
look  than  it  did  the  previous  morning.  Why  should  it 
not?  We  were  lifted  three  thousand  feet  above  the  fogs 
and  miasmas  that  infest  the  face  of  mother  earth. 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  started  for  Clark's. 
The  trees  on  every  side  as  we  went  our  way  were  of  grand 
size  and  proportions.  They  quite  cast  into  the  shade  those 
we  had  seen  and  admired  the  day  before.  We  continued 
to  ascend  until  we  were  twenty-eight  hundred  feet  above 
White  and  Hatch's,  and  more  than  a  mile  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  We  were  certainly  on  the  road  to  an  apotheosis. 
But  we  were  not  to  take  our  seats  among  the  gods  yet.  Af- 
ter crossing  the  divide  between  the  Chowchilla  and  the 
south  fork  of  the  Merced  we  began  to  descend,  and  before 
we  reached  Clark's  had  gone  down  seventeen  hundred  feet. 
At  Clark's  we  were  on  the  same  level  with  the  Yosemite 
valley,  four  thousand  feet  above  sea-level,  and  only  twelve 
miles  in  a  direct  line  from  the  goal  of  our  hopes.  Had  we 
the  wings  of  a  dove  we  could  have  flown  there  by  making 
just  that  distance.  As  we  had  not  we  were  obliged  to  ride 
twenty-four  miles,  and  go  up  and  again  down  in  order  to 
reach  the  place.  The  first  ceremony  at  the  end  of  each  ride 
was  to  be  swept  down.  Somebody,  broom  in  hand,  was  al- 
ways in  waiting  to  make  free  again  the  soil  that  had  set- 
tled upon  our  garments.  Clark's  is  a  very  comfortable 
place,  where  pleasant  rest  may  be  enjoyed.  We  stayed  over 
a  day  here  in  order  to  visit  the  big-trees. 

When  the  news  of  the  wonderful  big-trees  of  Califor- 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   YOSEMITE.  199 

nia  reached  England,  the  botanists  who  investigated  the 
matter  decided  that  they  were  siii  f/eneris  —  not  belonging 
to  any  known  genus.  Therefore,  without  a  very  nice 
appreciation  of  the  claims  of  the  country  that  produced 
them,  they  bestowed  upon  them  a  name  derived  from 
that  of  the  "Iron  Duke" — Wellingtonia.  Subsequent  ex- 
amination proved  them  to  be  so  like  the  already  known 
redwood  as  to  have  a  legal  right  to  be  included  in  the 
same  genus.  The  specific  name  giyautea  was  added,  and 
the  name  stands  Sequoia  gigantea.  The  age  of  these  trees 
would  seem  sometimes  to  have  been  greatly  overestimated. 
One  of  the  largest  and  apparently  oldest  in  the  Calaveras 
grove  was  cut  down  and  the  concentric  layers  counted, 
by  which  it  was  proved  to  be  thirteen  hundred  years  old. 
The  height  is  not  so  great  as  that  of  some  of  the  euca- 
lyptus trees  in  Australia,  which  often  reach  the  altitude 
of  four  hundred  feet,  and  one  of  which  is  reported  to 
measure  four  hundred  and  eighty.  The  tallest  of  the  big- 
trees  which  has  yet  been  measured  in  the  Calaveras  grove, 
the  Keystone  State,  is  only  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  high.  But,  taking  height  and  thickness  both  into 
consideration,  no  tree  has  ever  been  known  to  ec^ual  the 
big-trees.  They  are  always  found  in  groves,  but  they  are 
not  exclusive  —  they  allow  other  species  to  grow  among 
them.  Pines,  spruce  and  cedars  seem  to  feel  no  embar- 
rassment at  being  found  in  the  company  of  their  betters, 
to  which  they  in  fact  serve  as  a  foil  to  set  them  off  and 
show  how  much  bigger  they  are  than  common  trees.  The 
Sequoia  gigantea  has  as  yet  always  been  found  within 
two  degrees  of  latitude  thirty-six  and  thirty-eight  north, 
and  at  an  elevation  of  from  six  to  seven  thousand  feet 


200  TWO  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

above  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  are  three  groves  north 
of  the  Mariposa,  and  four  south  of  it.  The  Mariposa 
grove  was  discovered  in  1857  by  Mr.  Clark.  There  are 
about  six  hundred  trees  in  the  grove,  or  groves,  for  it  is 
in  two  divisions.  There  are  trees  in  the  Calaveras  grove 
that  exceed  any  in  this  in  height,  but  in  diameter  some 
in  the  Mariposa  carry  off  the  palm.  The  Mariposa  grove 
alone  belongs  to  the  State  of  California.  The  grant  com- 
prises a  tract  two  miles  square,  and  was  given  by  the 
United  States  Government  to  the  State;  this,  "together 
with  the  Yosemite  valley,  with  its  branches  and  spurs, 
an  estimated  length  of  fifteen  miles,  and  in  average  width 
one  mile  back  from  the  edge  of  the  precipice  on  each  side 
of  the  valley,  with  the  stipulation,  nevertheless,  that  the 
State  shall  accept  this  grant  on  the  express  condition  that 
the  premises  shall  be  held  for  public  use  and  recreation, 
and  shall  be  inalienable  for  all  time." 

So  much  in  the  way  of  preliminaries  and  elucidation 
of  matters  in  general.  Through  the  greater  we  come  to 
the  less  and  reach  the  account  of  our  own  particular  ex- 
periences and  impressions.  After  reaching  Clark's  we 
were  to  say  good-bye  to  wheels  and  trust  ourselves  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  horses,  holding  the  reins  of  government 
in  our  own  hands,  though  in  my  case  they  proved  to  be 
rather  the  symbol  of  power  than  the  real  thing.  As  soon 
as  breakfast  was  over  the  horses  were  brought  out,  and  we 
prepared  to  mount.  This  was  a  trying  time  to  me.  It 
was  the  one  particular  event  that  had  been  before  me  as 
a  dread  and  an  uncertainty  ever  since  the  journey  was 
decided  upon.  I  had  bespoken  a  gentle  horse.  When  my 
turn  came  to  mount,  a  smooth  brown  mustang  was  brought 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   TOSEMITE.  201 

up  and  formally  introduced  as  "Alek."  He  belonged  to  that 
class  of  sovereigns  for  whom  one  name  is  sufficient.  In  a 
few  minutes  the  impossible  was  accomplished;  I  was  fairly 
mounted.  Whether  I  could  maintain  the  eminent  position 
assumed  was  the  problem  which  the  future  was  to  solve. 
By  holding  on  to  the  "horn"  with  an  intensity  that  knew 
no  relaxation  I  remained  seated  when  Alek  started,  and 
we  at  once  took  the  place  which  henceforth  knew  us  in  all 
our  journeyings, — in  the  rear.  Alek  was  determined  to 
let  his  moderation  be  known,  and  we  were  in  danger  of 
either  retarding  the  progress  of  some  gentlemen  benevo- 
lently inclined,  or  being  left  quite  to  ourselves  in  the 
background.  I  could  not  spare  enough  energy  from  the 
continued  effort  to  "hold  on"  to  give  him  any  persuasive 
touches  of  the  whip,  and  he  seemed  intuitively  to  divine 
the  true  state  of  the  case.  It  was  a  rarely  beautiful  morn- 
ing; the  sun  was  clear  and  bright,  and  would  have  been 
too  warm  had  we  not  been  shaded  by  the  trees  that  over- 
hung the  trail.  We  were  above  all  fogs  and  miasmas,  and 
breathed  a  most  exhilarating  atmosphere,  which  of  itself 
would  have  sent  hope  and  delight  tingling  through  the 
veins.  Our  way  led  us  up  higher  and  higher  until  we 
were  more  than  a  mile  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
then  we  found  the  Big  Trees!  We  entered  the  upper 
grove,  and  on  the  west  side.  Our  first  halt  was  made 
when  we  reached  the  Prostrate  Monarch.  The  first  feel- 
ing upon  seeing  the  trees  was  that  of  disappointment; 
but  when  we  had  clambered  up  the  side  of  this  prostrate 
monarch  and  found  ourselves  standing  thirty  feet  in  the 
air,  higher  than  the  eaves  of  most  two-story  houses,  while 
the  tree  lay  flat  upon  the  ground,  we  began  to  think  that 


202  TWO  TEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  Titans  had  left  their  representatives  behind  them,  and 
that  the  trees  had  not  been  overestimated.  The  bai'k  is 
tan  color,  and  from  fifteen  to  twenty  inches  in  thickness. 
It  is  of  a  loose,  spongy  texture,  and  when  cut  transversely' 
is  used  sometimes  for  pin-cushions.  There  was  pain  al- 
ways mingled  with  wonder  and  pleasure  in  looking  at 
these  monsters,  for  not  one  of  them  all  is  perfect.  The 
fire  has  scathed  them  and  more  or  less  injured  their  ap- 
pearance. This  was  done  before  the  groves  were  known 
to  white  men.  The  Indians  were  accustomed  to  kindle 
fires  in  order  to  burn  the  underbrush,  and  so  facilitate 
their  hunting  operations.  It  is  a  sad  pity  that  they  are 
so  marred.  We  found  a  spring  at  the  very  roots  of  one 
of  the  largest  trees,  and  the  water  was  deliciously  cool 
and  refreshing.  We  spread  our  lunch  near  by,  and  ate 
under  the  shadow  and  protection  of  one  of  these  great 
kings  of  the  forest.  Like  most  of  the  coniferous  trees  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  the  big-tree  sends  out  no  branches  for 
a  great  distance  from  the  ground  —  sometimes  one  hun- 
dred feet  or  more.  The  tops  of  many  of  them  were 
broken  off",  showing  that  decay  had  already  begun.  There 
was  something  almost  fearful  in  the  stillness  that  reigned 
in  the  grove.  No  note  of  bird  or  hum  of  insect  was  heard. 
The  silence  was  as  profound  as  that  when  the  primeval 
earth,  all  dressed  in  beauty  and  arrayed  in  glory,  waited 
in  silent  expectancy  the  coming  of  its  lord  —  the  creation 
of  man!  Our  guide  was  a  backwoodsman,  accustomed  to 
roaming  the  forests  and  camping  out  for  weeks  in  the 
wilderness;  but  he  said  he  would  rather  stay  alone  through 
the  night  anywhere  he  had  ever  been  than  in  one  of  these 
groves.     There  was  something  awful  in  the  solitude.     Oc- 


a^o\^>],)fer)>'',>& 


-I        ,,,^'^It. Starr  King 


Baker  &  Co.  Chlo. 


PLAN    OF    THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY.      Page  215. 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   TOSEMITE.  203 

casionally,  when  a  breeze  suddenly  woke  up,  there  would 
be  heard  a  sighing  among  the  pines,  and  the  big-trees 
with  their  hoarser  wail  would  supply  the  bass,  and  make 
such  a  chorus  as  the  ear  might  listen  for  in  vain  any- 
where else  in  the  world. 

After  lunch  we  mounted  our  horses  and  started  for  the 
other  grove.  On  our  way  we  rode  from  end  to  end  through 
the  trunk  of  a  tree,  that  had  been  burned  out  and  was  ly- 
ing on  the  ground.  Through  another,  that  was  standing 
and  had  also  been  burned  out,  we  rode  in  regular  pro- 
cession. The  Grizzlj"  Giant  outranks  all  others  in  the 
grove  in  magnificent  proportions.  It  is  ninety-three  feet 
seven  inches  in  circumference,  and  sends  out  a  branch 
ninety  feet  from  the  ground  that  is  six  feet  in  diameter. 
This  tree  is,  like  the  rest,  much  injured  by  fire.  There 
were  ten  of  us  in  the  company.  We  arranged  ourselves 
around  the  Grizzly  Giant,  sitting  on  our  horses  and  bring- 
ing them  head  and  tail  together  as  closely  as  we  could,  and 
thus  we  reached  about  half  way  round  the  tree.  The 
Queen  of  the  Forest  is  less  injured  by  fire  than  most  of 
the  other  trees,  and  is  great  and  grand  enough  to  deserve 
the  name  it  bears. 

The  trees  seemed  to  grow  in  size  every  hour  that  we 
spent  in  looking  at  them.  The  first  disappointment  soon 
gave  place  to  wonder  that  increased  constantly.  Before 
we  came  away,  they  by  their  actual  presence  surpassed 
all  expectation  or  imagination.  There  are  no  words  that 
can  worthily  describe  them;  for  before  they  came  in  view 
there  was  a  want  of  language  to  express  the  feelings  of 
awe,  of  wonder,  of  might  and  majesty  that  were  awakened. 

The  wood  is  of  a  color  like  our  eastern  cedar,  though 

10 


204  TWO   TEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

somewhat  lighter.  It  is  inodorous,  at  least  when  dry, 
and  is  said  to  be  very  durable.  In  the  groves  further 
south  the  young  trees  are  cut,  taken  to  the  mills  and 
sawn  into  boards.  The  Mariposa  grove  is  protected  by  a 
very  watchful  guardianship.  Our  guide  did  not  dare  so 
much  as  peel  off  a  piece  of  bark,  being  forbidden  by  his 
oath  of  ofl&ce;  but  one  of  the  men  with  us  had  no  such 
impediment  in  his  way,  and  helped  us  to  wood  and  bark. 
Mr.  Clark  is  the  guardian  appointed  by  the  State  to  take 
care  of  the  grove,  and  also  of  the  Yosemite  valley.  Other » 
men,  called  commissioners,  are  united  with  him,  but  he  is 
the  acting  quorum. 

The  sun  had  gone  far  on  its  way  toward  the  west  when 
we  set  out  on  our  return.  What  a  day  it  had  been !  What 
new  sensations  had  been  awakened!  What  surprise,  what 
wonder,  what  admiration!  A  new  element  had  come  into 
our  lives,  to  be  separated  from  them  again  nevermore. 
Here  we  first  saw  the  wonderful  snow-plant.  This  beau- 
tiful thing  does  not  derive  its  name  from  its  color,  for 
that  is  in  strong  contrast  to  white,  but  from  the  fact  that 
it  pushes  its  way  up  through  the  snow,  as  though  that 
was  its  native  element.  The  whole  plant  is  a  bright  red  — 
not  flame  color,  not  blood  color,  but  sometimes  one  and 
sometimes  both.  It  is  veined  and  shaded  in  its  hue;  it 
grows  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  high,  and,  like  the 
goddess  who  burst  upon  the  world  full-armed,  it  comes 
up  out  of  the  ground  equipped  and  perfect.  The  grow- 
ing seems  to  be  all  done  in  the  secret  places  of  the  earth, 
before  it  exposes  itself  to  view.  First  the  head  or  top 
pushes  up  and  presents  itself;  then  it  keeps  on  rising, 
rising,  till   it   stands   up  erect,  a  full-grown  plant.     The 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   TOSEMITE.  205 

little  florets  are  arranged  around  the  stalk  like  the  flowers 
on  mullein.  When  it  first  appears  above  the  ground 
there  is  a  long,  narrow  leaf,  which  is  also  red,  wrapped 
carefully  around  each  floret,  to  protect  it  while  pushing 
its  way  up  into  the  free  air.  This  ofiicial  duty  done,  the 
leaf  twists  itself  about  the  stalk  so  as  not  to  obscure  the 
beauty  of  the  flower  and  let  it  have  a  fair  chance  to  be 
seen.  This  was  the  most  curious  plant  that  we  saw  dur- 
ing our  trip.  It  seemed  to  grow  abundantly  all  around 
the  valley  of  the  Yosemite,  but  we  found  none  in  it. 
At  Peregoy's  a  dozen  could  be  found  under  a  single 
pine  tree.  The  botanical  name  of  the  plant  is  Sarcodes 
sanguinea. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  again  mounted 
our  horses.  A  ride  of  twenty-five  miles  would  bring  us 
to  the  Yosemite.  Mentally,  I  was  in  a  better  condition 
than  at  starting  on  the  previous  day;  because  of  the 
facility  with  which  the  mind  becomes  accustomed  to  dan- 
ger, I  coiild  trust  myself  in  my  perilous  position  on  the 
back  of  the  horse  with  diminished  trepidation  and  alarm. 
But  physically!  Ah,  well!  what  boots  it  to  tell  of  the 
wounds  and  bruises?  Alek  seemed  by  this  time  to  have 
clear  and  settled  convictions  in  regard  to  his  rider.  That 
I  had  not  much  will  of  my  own  was  self-evident  to  him, 
and  that  I  did  not  dare  assert  what  little  I  had  in  the 
face  of  opposition  was  equally  apparent.  These  first  im- 
pressions were  not  efiaced  throughout  all  the  ten  days 
that  we  afterward  joiirneyed  together.  Another  convic- 
tion was  equally  well  fastened  upon  Alek's  mind.  He 
was  conscious  of  having  the  advantage  on  the  score  of 
that    practical    knowledge   which   was    necessary   for   the 


206  TWO    TEAKS    IN"    CALIFORNIA. 

emergencies  to  come.  I  went  over  to  his  opinion  before 
we  had  been  fellow-travelers  very  long. 

We  —  that  is,  Alek  and  I  —  always  guarded  the  rear 
of  the  party,  to  see  that  no  evil  came  upon  them  from 
behind.  It  is  only  another  proof  that  good  deeds  are  not 
always  recognized  and  rewarded,  that  our  services  in  this 
respect  were  not  appreciated,  or,  if  they  were,  it  was  with 
the  silent  thankfulness  with  which  the  earth  receives  rain 
from  the  clouds.     There  was  nothing  said  about  it! 

There  was  no  great  exuberance  of  spirit  in  starting, 
such  as  there  had  been  the  day  before.  The  damaging 
effects  of  the  fifteen  miles'  ride  of  the  previous  day  were 
rather  sedative  in  their  influence,  at  least  so  far  as  the 
spirits  were  concerned.  We  crossed  the  south  fork  of  the 
Merced  just  after  leaving  Clark's.  It  is  quite  a  respect- 
able little  river  there.  Then  we  took  our  winding  way 
up  the  hill.  Our  party  had  gained  three  by  accretion,  so 
that  with  our  guide  and  pack-mule  we  made  quite  a  cav- 
alcade. This  pack-mule  was  a  real  character  in  his  way, 
and  deserves  from  a  veracious  historian  more  particular 
mention.  He  was  a  dumpy  little  fellow,  compactly  built 
and  well  piit  together.  His  strength  must  have  been  great 
in  proportion  to  his  size,  for  on  his  diminutive  body  was 
packed  all  the  luggage  that  belonged  to  our  party  of 
twelve.  To  be  sure,  there  were  no  Saratoga  trunks,  but 
there  were  in  the  company  four  ladies  fully  equipped  for 
a  trip  of  ten  days. 

The  name  of  this  enterprising  mule  was  "Jocko."  How 
he  would  grunt  as  bag  after  bag,  satchel  after  satchel, 
was  brought  out  and  placed  upon  his  back!  The  girth 
was  with  each  parcel  drawn  more  and  more  tightly.     Such 


A    TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  207 

long  breaths  as  he  would  draw  while  the  process  was 
going  on,  as  though  he  felt  doubtful  whether  he  should 
ever  have  another  chance  to  inflate  his  lungs.  But  Jocko 
was  very  much  of  a  philosopher,  and  submitted  to  the  in- 
evitable, when  fairly  proved  inevitable,  with  great  resigna- 
tion. When  he  was  once  loaded,  and  matters  were  settled 
so  that  he  knew  what  to  depend  upon,  he  accepted  his 
burden  and  set  off  as  briskly,  and  apparently  in  as  good 
spirits,  as  though  he  were  starting  on  a  long-desired 
pleasure  trip.  He  gave  evidence  of  taste  and  cultivation 
in  the  course  of  the  journey.  Like  the  rest  of  us,  he 
sometimes  grew  tired,  his  spirits  flagged,  and  his  steps 
became  slow.  But  if  the  voice  of  our  sweet  singer  was 
heard,  charming  us  with  some  melody.  Jocko  pricked  up 
his  ears  and  started  on  with  new  life  and  courage,  as 
much  as  to  say:  "If  you  would  have  a  mule  carry  a 
pack  and  travel  with  ease  and  diligence,  you  must  do 
something  to  keep  up  his  spirits."  He  had  judgment, 
too,  and  a  mind  of  his  own,  as  mules  generally  do. 

On  one  occasion  during  the  journey  he  chanced  to  be 
about  midway  in  the  procession.  There  was  a  narrow 
place  in  the  trail,  with  large  rocks  on  each  side,  through 
which  those  that  were  before  Jocko  passed  without  trou- 
ble. When  he  came  to  the  narrow  pass  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  there  was  not  sufficient  room  for  him,  with  his 
pack  extending  on  each  side  like  very  substantial  wings. 
So  he  stopped,  and,  putting  on  a  most  determined  look, 
said,  as  plainly  as  he  could,  "You'll  not  get  me  through 
there  till  you  have  taken  my  pack  ofi^."  He  did  not 
mean  to  jeopardize  what  was  intrusted  to  him.  Like  all 
noble  natures,  he  felt   bound   to   be   faithful  to  a  trust. 


208  TWO   TEARS   IN"   CALIFORNIA. 

The  guide  tried  in  vain  to  make  him  go  through.  Even 
the  logic  of  blows  was  not  sufficient  to  persuade  him  to 
make  the  attempt.  It  took  the  united  strength  of  two 
or  three  of  the  party  to  conquer  his  will  and  get  him 
through  the  pass. 

On  we  went  in  single  file,  winding  our  way  up  the  hill  — 
up  —  up.  Still  up  our  way  led  us,  till  we  were  on  the 
divide  between  the  South  Fork  and  the  main  Merced 
river,  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
There  we  found  only  the  tamarack  and  the  noble  fir,  which 
grow  nearer  to  heaven  than  any  other  trees.  We  had  our 
pay  as  we  went  along  for  the  fatigue  we  endured.  What 
we  saw  and  heard  by  the  way  would  have  been  sufficient 
compensation  had  there  been  nothing  beyond.  We  looked 
out  over  an  apparently  endless  range  of  mountains.  They 
stretched  away  oif  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  the 
air  was  so  clear  and  pure  that  the  view  seemed  almost 
boundless.  Range  upon  range,  mountain  upon  mountain, 
rose  up  to  point  the  thoughts  heavenward,  and  everywhere 
they  were  covered  with  trees  whose  majesty  and  magnifi- 
cence made  the  sight  rarely  beautiful.  The  sighing  of  the 
wind  in  the  tops  of  the  pine  trees  was  something  that  af- 
fected me  strangely.  It  stirred  up  all  there  was  within  me 
that  was  good  and  gracious,  and  made  me  wish  to  fall  fur- 
ther and  further  in  the  rear,  so  as  to  be  all  alone,  with 
"  God  o'erhead."  I  should  never  weary  of  this  "  harp  of  a 
thousand  strings,"  played  by  an  unseen  hand,  that  knows 
so  well  how  to  touch  it.  Oftentimes  there  was  a  sort  of 
refrain.  The  tune  would  be  started  on  one  hill-top,  and  the 
sound  would  spread  and  deepen  and  widen  until  all  the 
trees  on  all  the  mountains  joined  in  the  chorus,  and  there 


A   TKIP   TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  209 

went  up  to  heaven  a  universal  anthem,  harmonious  and 
grand.  There  was  room  in  my  heart  for  only  one  regret  — 
that  I  could  not  stop  and  look  and  listen  till  I  was  sat- 
isfied. I  must  hurry  on  or  I  should  be  left  too  far  behind. 
At  twelve  o'clock  we  reached  Peregoy's,  the  half-way 
house,  and  were  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  Yosemite 
valley.  "  Peregoy's  "  is  a  name  that  falls  pleasantly  on  the 
ears  of  travelers  to  the  Yosemite.  Is  it  shockingly  low  and 
material  to  commend  a  place  because  you  find  nice  things 
to  eat  there?  Should  pilgrims,  on  their  way  to  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  the  grand  and  the  beautiful,  stop  and  rejoice 
in  cream  pies  and  juicy  steaks?  There  is  a  carnal  body  as 
well  as  a  spiritual,  and  while  we  are  of  the  earth  we  must 
be  earthy  enough  to  feed  the  bodies  that  would  perish 
without  eating ;  and  if  we  must  feed  them,  what  harm  in 
desiring  the  best  to  do  it  with? 

The  mountain-air,  riding  and  the  strangeness  of  the  con- 
ditions wake  up  the  servants  of  digestion  and  make  them 
very  clamorous.  All  sluggishness  is  gone.  The  ofiice  of 
food  is  magnified.  Eating  is  an  important  fact.  This  is 
understood  and  provided  for  at  Peregoy's.  There  is  no 
style,  there  are  no  printed  bills  of  fare  or  change  of  cloth 
at  dinner,  but  everything  is  good  and  enjoyable.  There 
never  were  such  steaks  and  such  mutton-chops ;  and  as  for 
the  cream  pies  and  wonderful  cakes,  they  would  be  fit  com- 
pany for  the  nectar  of  the  gods  at  the  feasts  in  Olympus. 
The  name  of  Peregoy  lingers  pleasantly  in  the  ears  of  trav- 
elers. May  the  genius  that  presides  over  that  kitchen  feel 
the  richness  that  comes  from  being  blessed  by  thousands, 
who  are  made  stronger  and  happier  by  the  ministrations 
of  her  hands! 


210  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

The  air  is  so  pure  at  this  point,  and  so  free  from  any- 
corrupting  influences,  that  meat  can  be  kept  ten  or  twelve 
days  without  any  application  of  salt.  But  there  was  no 
chance  to  try  any  such  experiment  while  we  were  there; 
we  helped  put  all  provisions  beyond  a  peradventure  as 
to  their  future.  It  was  the  original  intention  of  our 
party  to  go  no  further  than  Peregoy's  the  day  we  left 
Clark's.  But  after  dinner  and  a  rest  of  three  hours  we 
were  so  much  refreshed  that  there  was  a  unanimous  vote 
to  go  on  and  get  into  the  valley  the  same  night,  and  be 
there  ready  to  celebrate  our  national  birthday  on  the 
morrow.  So  we  started  on  quite  cheerfully  and  cour- 
ageously. We  had  twelve  miles  before  us,  and  to  those 
of  us  who  were  unaccustomed  to  the  saddle  it  was  a 
large  addition  to  make  to  the  twelve  already  traveled. 
We  went  on  still  ascending  till  we  were  seven  thousand 
four  hundred  feet  above  the  ocean,  more  than  three  thou- 
sand above  Clark's.  In  many  places  the  trail  led  up  the 
mountain  as  nearly  perpendicularly  as  earth  would  stay; 
then  it  was  rocky  and  rough,  which  seemed  to  add  to 
the  danger  as  well  as  the  toilsomeness  of  the  ascent. 
Something  was  gained  by  making  the  trail  zig-zag,  like  a 
Virginia  fence.  I  was  interested  in  watching  Alek,  and 
seeing  how  thorough  was  his  knowledge  of  the  laws  of 
gravitation  and  equipoise. 

He  would  go  to  the  very  farthest  verge  of  the  angle, 
so  that  his  head  and  almost  his  entire  body  sometimes 
would  project  beyond  the  path;  then,  making  a  fulcrum 
of  his  hind  legs,  he  would  turn  himself  with  gravity  and 
deliberation,  go  on  to  the  next  angle,  and  so  repeat  the 
process.     At   first,  not   having  learned  to  confide  entirely 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  211 

in  his  wisdom  and  judgment,  I  pulled  the  rein  to  pre- 
vent his  going  out  of  the  track,  as  I  thought  he  in- 
tended. He  never  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  my 
eflbrts,  and  I  soon  concluded  it  was  better  to  content 
myself  with  being  a  shadow  behind  the  throne  and  give 
up  all  power  and  authority  to  him,  devoting  myself  with 
a  single  eye  to  the  one  business  of  keeping  myself  on 
his  back.  To  this  determination  I  adhered  ever  after. 
The  appearance  of  the  party  was  often  very  picturesque, 
viewed  from  the  rear,  which  was  always  my  standpoint 
of  observation.  The  whole  party  wound  their  way  up  the 
hill  one  after  another,  some  on  one  level  and  others  on 
a  higher,  the  different  hues  of  the  costumes  distinguish- 
ing each  from  the  other  as  they  were  now  lost  to  sight 
and  then  appearing  again,  like  the  pieces  in  a  kaleido- 
scope. The  zig-zag  of  the  trail  increased  the  effect  and 
strengthened  the  appeal  to  the  imagination,  making  it 
easy  to  set  one's  self  back  in  the  stream  of  time  to  an 
era  which  antedates  the  birth  of  railroads  and  coaches, 
when  brave  knights  went  to  the  rescue  of  fair  ladies,  on 
gallant  steeds,  with  spear  and  breastplate.  Sometimes  a 
song  would  be  started,  and  one  after  another  would  join 
in  until  the  chorus  was  swelled  by  the  voices  of  all  the 
company.  The  tones  lingered  in  the  valleys  and  were 
echoed  by  the  hills,  until  Nature  herself  took  up  the 
refrain  and  seemed  to  complete  the  harmony.  Brave 
little  Jocko  usually  took  precedence,  as  though  the  supe- 
rior value  of  his  cargo  entitled  him  to  that  distinction. 
So  we  went  on,  rather  flagging  as  the  day  advanced,  till 
we  came  to  Inspiration  Point,  where  we  were  to  have 
our  first  view  of  the   remarkable   place   we  had  come  so 


212  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

far  to  see.  As  we  neared  the  spot,  silence  fell  upon  the 
party  —  all  were  busy  with  their  own  thoughts.  Faith 
was  soon  to  be  turned  into  sight.  With  our  own  eyes 
we  should  soon  verify  what  had  been  told  us  of  this 
wonderful  valley,  like  which  there  was  said  to  be  no 
other.  That  supi'eme  moment,  desired  so  long,  hoped  for 
through  years,  was  near  at  hand.  Then  there  was,  after 
all,  a  vague  uncertainty  as  to  what  the  sight  would  be 
to  us  individually.  Would  our  hopes  or  our  fears  be 
realized?  The  veil  would  soon  be  lifted,  and  we  should 
know  for  ourselves  —  no  longer  see  through  the  eyes  of 
others.  We  dismounted  at  a  little  distance,  and  were 
soon  on  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  There  it  was  —  this 
trough  hewn  out  of  the  mountains.  Awe-struck  I  stood, 
mute,  and  almost  immovable.  I  should  have  been  glad 
•  to  be  all  alone  in  this  first  interview  with  God  manifest 
in  so  wonderful  a  way.  The  whole  valley  lay  spread 
out  like  a  map  beneath  us.  El  Capitan  stood  out  most 
prominently,  for  it  was  exactly  before  us.  The  Half 
Dome  also  arrested  attention  whenever  we  looked  to- 
ward the  upper  end  of  the  valley.  We  did  not  know 
until  afterwards  all  the  different  points.  It  was  the 
grand  whole  that  bewildered  and  overwhelmed  us.  What- 
ever of  majesty  that  is  made  up  of  imaginable  strength 
and  massiveness  was  there.  Whatever  of  sublimity,  in- 
conceivable height  and  unsounded  depth  can  give  was 
there. 

But  the  sun  was  nearing  the  western  horizon.  We 
could  not  satisfy  ourselves  with  looking,  for  we  were  yet 
six  miles  from  our  place  of  rest.  Not  six  ordinary  miles. 
One  would  have  very  little  idea  of  distance  in  and  about 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  213 

the  Yosemite  who  did  not  go  beyond  the  common  no- 
tions of  miles  and  measures.  Like  everything  else,  the 
miles  are  on  a  scale  of  magnificence  that  dwarfs  all 
common  conceptions. 

We  began  the  descent  of  the  mountain  after  leaving  In- 
spiration Point.  We  had  been  climbing  up  nearly  all  the 
way  from  Clark's  only  to  be  obliged  to  descend  again.  The 
grade  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  down  into  the  valley 
was  much  steeper  than  any  we  had  previously  had.  It  did 
not  seem  possible  for  the  rider  to  keep  the  center  of  grav- 
ity within  the  compass  of  the  horse's  ears.  There  was  con- 
stant expectation  of  being  required  to  describe  a  tangent  or 
a  parabola  in  falling  over  his  head.  These  mustangs  are 
wonderfully  wise  and  skillful  in  their  day  and  generation, 
and  possess  remarkable  presence  of  mind  into  the  bargain. 
Others  might  be  thrown  off  their  balance,  but  not  the3^ 
They  always  know  exactly  where  to  put  their  feet  and  how 
to  carry  not  only  themselves  but  their  riders.  The  sun 
had  disappeared  from  the  heavens  and  the  moon  taken  its 
place  when  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  en- 
tered the  valley;  so  we  had  our  first  near  view  under  the 
witchery  of  moonlight.  But  alas  for  poetic  phantasy!  I 
was  so  tired  that  all  power  of  emotion  was  gone.  As  soon 
as  we  reached  the  hotel  I  deposited  myself  upon  the  bed, 
supperless,  and  suffering  in  every  joint  and  limb.  Did  ever 
sinews  so  ache  or  muscles  feel  such  soreness?  The  veiy 
bones  seemed  to  have  found  a  way  to  make  their  grievances 
felt. 

We  had  some  celestial  pyrotechnics  and  a  nice  shower  in 
the  morning  in  celebration  of  Independence  Day.  Some  of 
oar  company  joined  in  the  services  and  contributed  a  patri- 


214  TWO    YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

otic  song  or  two.  We  attempted  no  going  abroad  during  the 
morning,  but  sat  in  the  front  porch  and  rested  and  watched 
the  Yosemite  fall,  which  seemed  to  be  exactly  opposite,  as 
it  does  everywhere  within  half  a  mile  above  or  below.  We 
were  too  late  in  the  season  to  see  the  fall  at  its  best.  The 
Yosemite  creek,  which  forms  it,  rises  in  the  Mount  Hoff- 
man group  of  mountains,  about  ten  miles  north  of  the  val- 
ley. Being  fed  by  snows,  it  does  not  retain  its  fullness 
long  after  this  has  done  melting;  but  the  great  height  of 
the  fall  makes  it  wonderful,  even  when  the  volume  of  water 
is  not  great.  The  whole  descent  is  twenty-six  hundred 
feet,  but  it  is  not  all  made  at  one  leap.  The  water  falls 
over  a  granite  precipice  sixteen  hundred  feet,  where  it 
meets  a  projecting  ledge;  then  for  six  hundred  feet,  or  what 
is  equivalent  to  that  in  perpendicular  descent,  it  falls  in  a 
series  of  cascades,  and  finally  gathers  itself  up  and  makes 
its  last  plunge  of  four  hundred  feet.  This,  so  far  as  is 
known,  is  the  highest  fall  in  the  world,  and  is  sixteen  times 
the  height  of  Niagara.  It  was  very  strange  and  curious  to 
see  the  way  the  wind  toyed  with  it.  It  was  the  uppermost 
sheet  with  which  it  seemed  to  like  best  to  play.  Sometimes 
the  water  was  spread  out,  stretched  from  edge  to  edge,  as 
if  to  see  how  wide  it  could  be  made;  then  it  was  brought 
close  together,  and  looked  like  a  film  or  mist  —  a  something 
altogether  supernatural.  At  times  it  was  separated  in  the 
middle,  and  the  divided  parts  hung  down,  with  quite  a 
space  between,  and  danced  hither  and  thither,  one  part 
chasing  the  other;  sometimes  coming  almost  together,  and 
then  separating  again,  as  though  a  hand  held  each  fast  at 
the  top,  with  the  intention  of  showing  it  off,  like  a  merchant 
displaying  his  goods  to  a  customer.     Then  again  the  water 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  215 

was  gathered  up  and  became  all  depth  and  intensity.  Thus 
all  the  time,  during  the  two  or  three  days  we  were  there, 
the  fall  kept  changing,  never  looking  twice  alike,  yet  very 
beautiful  in  all  its  phases.  The  moonlight  gave  a  new 
witchery  to  it,  which  was  as  beautiful  as  new.  After  lunch- 
eon we  mounted  our  horses  and  retraced  the  steps  of  the 
night  before,  in  order  to  see  by  daylight  what  we  had  seen 
so  partially  by  moonlight. 

For  the  sake  of  clearness  I  will  begin  the  description 
of  the  valley  at  the  western  extremity,  where  it  is  en- 
tered by  the  different  trails.  The  valley  lies  nearly  east 
and  west,  opening  toward  the  west.  The  Coulterville 
trail  comes  in  on  the  north  side  and  the  Mariposa  on 
the  south  side  of  the  valley  and  of  the  Merced  river. 
This  is  the  narrowest  part  of  the  valley,  it  being  scarcely 
a  half-mile  wide,  while  the  rocks  on  each  side  are  more 
than  that  in  height.  In  some  places  there  is  scarcely 
room  for  the  narrow  trail  between  the  river  and  the 
mountains.  Entering  on  the  Mariposa  trail,  the  first  ob- 
ject that  arrests  and  fixes  the  attention  is  "  El  Capitan." 
This  is  an  immense  mass  of  granite,  more  than  half  a 
mile  high,  which  makes  a  sharply-cut,  almost  rectangular, 
corner  at  the  beginning  of  the  valley  on  the  north  side. 
No  words  can  give  any  adequate  idea  of  its  majesty  as 
it  stands  there,  a  solid  cliff  of  stone,  with  its  top  three 
thousand  four  hundred  feet  above  the  valley.  The  front 
face  is  not  quite  perpendicular,  as  the  top  projects  over 
the  base  about  one  hundred  feet.  We,  standing  at  its 
foot  and  looking  up  to  its  summit,  seemed  the  least  of 
all  little  things.  I  felt  like  bowing  down  to  the  earth 
and  saying,  with  hushed  voice: 


216  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

"Great  God!  how  infinite  art  Thou, 
M'hat  worthless  worms  are  we." 

The  granite  is  a  light  gray  —  lighter  than  the  Quincy 
granite.  The  great  face  of  the  rock  is  bare,  except  that 
some  trees  were  growing  on  two  or  three  ledges  at  dif- 
ferent heights.  Seen  from  the  valley,  they  were  very 
diminutive,  but  are  really  good-sized  pines.  Near  the 
corner  of  El  Capitan  there  is  a  recess  where  the  Virgin 
Tears  fall  is  seen  earlier  in  the  season,  but  it  was  dry 
when  we  visited  it.  On  the  side  of  the  rock  facing  south- 
ward and  toward  the  valley  there  is  drawn  or  cut  the 
distinct  outline  of  a  man  lying  in  a  recumbent  position. 
Some  of  our  party  having  eyes  saw  not  this  image  and 
superscription,  but  to  the  greater  number  it  was  a  plain 
and  real  thing.  Subsequently  we  learned  whose  these 
form  and  lineaments  were,  and  why  they  were  graven 
upon  the  rock.  To  assist  in  keeping  the  memory  of 
Tu-tock-a-nu-lah  in  perpetual  remembrance,  I  shall  re- 
hearse the  legend,  abbreviating  the  story  as  I  find  it  in 
print : 

This  majestic  rock  was  the  throne  of  Tu-tock-a-nu-lah, 
who  was  a  fit  man  for  such  a  seat.  Here  he  reclined 
while  he  administered  laws  to  his  people.  Just  and  upright 
in  all  his  ways,  he  allowed  no  oppression  among  his  sub- 
jects. He  was  also  strong  and  brave.  No  foot  was  so 
fleet  as  his;  no  arrow  so  true  to  its  mark  as  the  one  sent 
from  his  bow.  He  could  overtake  the  swift- footed  deer 
in  the  chase,  and  his  arrow  found  the  heart  of  the  bird 
in  its  flight.  Even  the  grizzly  bear  was  conquered  by  his 
strength,  and  forced  to  yield  to  its  victor.  Tu-tock-a-nu- 
lah  lived  so  near  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  was   so  loved 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   TOSEMITE.  217 

by  him,  that  at  his  intercession  rain  was  given  to  nour- 
ish the  earth;  the  sunshine  came  to  brighten  the  flowers 
and  make  the  trees  raise  their  heads  every  day  nearer  to 
heaven.  So  his  whole  care  was  for  his  people,  and  they 
were  blessed  under  his  reign.  He  was  to  them  as  a  ben- 
efactor and  a  God.  But  to  this  mighty  man  there  came 
a  change.  Stout  as  his  heart  was,  there  was  in  it  a  spot 
of  tenderness.  One  morning,  as  he  chased  the  deer  from 
its  cover,  a  vision  appeared  to  his  eyes  —  a  maiden,  fair 
as  the  morn,  glorious  as  the  sun  and  beautiful  as  the 
evening  cloud,  sat  on  the  top  of  Tissayac,  the  Half  Dome. 
Her  hair  was  flaxen,  with  the  tinge  of  gold  upon  it.  She 
was  not  dark  and  swarthy,  like  the  maidens  among  his 
people,  but  her  face  was  like  the  white  lily,  with  the 
blush  of  the  rose  upon  her  cheeks;  her  eye  was  the  deep 
blue  of  the  sky,  and  changeable  as  the  clouds  at  evening  — 
now  deep,  then  pale  it  grew,  as  she  looked  down  upon  him 
from  her  high  seat,  four  thousand  feet  above.  To  see  her 
was  to  love  her.  He  knelt  down  before  her,  as  if  to  wor- 
ship, and  stretched  his  hand  upward  to  entreat  her  favor. 
Love  and  pity  were  in  her  eyes  as  she  regarded  him. 
Then  she  spoke  low,  in  a  voice  as  sweet  as  the  voices  of 
the  morning,  and  called  his  name  twice:  " Tu-tock-a-nu- 
lah!  Tu-tock-a-nu-lah!"  and  was  gone.  To  him  the  sun 
seemed  to  go  out  when  she  disappeared.  After  that  he 
had  but  one  thought,  one  care  —  to  seek  the  lost  Tissayac, 
his  vanished  love.  Morning  and  night  he  sought  her,  and 
at  noon  he  gave  not  up  his  quest.  He  forgot  his  people. 
He  ceased  to  care  for  their  interests.  He  no  longer  of- 
fered prayer  and  sacriflce  to  the  Great  Spirit.  Ofi'ended 
at  this   neglect,  the  Great   Spirit  failed  to  send   the  rain 


218  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

and  did  not  give  the  sunshine.  The  grass  withered,  the 
flowers  faded,  and  even  the  trees  showed  signs  of  suffer- 
ing; the  earth  was  dry  and  parched;  the  sound  of  sighing 
was  heard  in  the  tops  of  the  pine  trees.  Tissayac  saw 
and  lamented  this  desolation.  She  knew  that  it  was  for 
her  sake.  She  threw  herself  prostrate  upon  the  top  of 
her  high  home  on  the  mountain  and  entreated  the  Great 
Spirit  to  be  merciful,  and  send  again  the  rain  and  the 
sunshine.  The  Spirit  came,  in  majesty  and  terror,  to  an- 
swer her  prayer.  The  mighty  mountain  was  rent  in  twain, 
and  the  one  half  remains  to  this  day  as  a  witness  to  the 
wonderful  answer  vouchsafed  to  the  prayers  of  a  pure 
maiden. 

This  Half-Dome  is  still  a  marvel  in  the  eyes  of  the 
people.  The  snows  were  melted  in  the  valley,  and  the 
water  came  pouring  down  its  sides.  They  formed  a 
river  —  the  river  of  Mercy, — which  has  ever  since  con- 
tinued to  flow  through  the  valley.  Then  Tissayac  took 
her  flight,  and  was  seen  no  more.  But  as  she  flew  over 
the  lake  which  bears  her  name  the  down  from  her  wings 
dropped  along  the  shore,  and  there  sprang  up  white  vio- 
lets to  gladden  the  hearts  of  all  that  should  ever  visit  the 
lake.  Tu-tock-a-nu-lah  could  not  exist  without  Tissayac. 
He  followed  her  from  the  valley,  and  was  never  seen 
again.  But  before  he  went,  with  his  hunting-knife  he 
cut  in  the  rock  whereon  his  throne  had  been,  the  outlines 
of  his  noble  head  and  manly  form, —  not  standing  erect, 
as  in  the  pride  of  strength,  but  almost  prostrate,  to  show 
that  even  he  had  succumbed  to  a  power  mightier  than 
himself;  and  he  left  the  picture  there,  that  all  men  might 
see  and  know  that  how  brave  and  how  swift  soever  they 


THE   SENTINELS,   CALAVERAS   GROVE. 
(Each  over  300  feet  high.)    Page  199. 


A   TRIP  TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  219 

may  be,  there  is  a  very  little  archer  who  can  conquer 
them  by  one  dai't  from  his  quiver,  and  then  —  a  woman 
may  lead  them!  It  is  a  pity  that  this  fine  Indian  name, 
Tu-tock-a-nu-lah,  which  belonged  to  the  rock,  should  have 
given  place  to  the  comparatively  vulgar  one  of  El  Capi- 
tan,  which  is  simply  the  Spanish  for  "  The  Captain."  This 
wonderful  mass  of  solid  granite  is  nearly  two-thirds  of  a 
mile  high.  It  is  the  beginning  of  the  wall  of  the  valley 
on  the  north  or  left-hand  side  as  you  enter.  On  the  op- 
posite or  right-hand  side  are  the  Cathedral  rocks,  and  The 
Three  Graces.  Over  the  face  of  Cathedral  Eock  pours 
Bridal  Veil  creek,  which  rises  a  few  miles  southeast  of 
this,  and  was  an  insignificant  stream  where  we  crossed  it 
afterward,  when  going  to  Glacier  Point.  But  the  fall 
shows  what  grand  results  may  be  brought  about  by  in- 
significant instrumentalities,  when  taken  in  hand  by  the 
Great  Artificer.  This  little  stream  is  led  along  by  the 
hand  till  brought  to  the  verge  of  this  rock  nine  hundred 
feet  above  the  valley;  and  then,  in  tossing  it  over,  it  is 
made  such  a  thing  of  beauty  as  rarely  blesses  the  eyes  of 
mortal  man.  The  water  is  no  longer  water ;  it  is  spirit- 
ualized, glorified;  it  comes  over  the  shelving  rock,  white, 
ethereal  as  the  mists  of  the  morning,  lighted  up,  irradi- 
ated by  the  rainbows  that  dance  hither  and  thither,  up 
and  down,  like  myriads  of  iris-winged  fairies.  Of  all  the 
beautiful  and  unique  things  in  Yosemite,  to  my  eyes  there 
was  nothing  so  beautiful  as  the  Bridal  Veil  fall.  The 
falls  of  the  Yosemite  are  more  stupendous,  the  Vernal 
grander,  and  the  Nevada  more  majestic  and  over-awing; 
but  for  the  purely  beautiful,  that  which  soothes  and  sweet- 
ens and  enchants  the  soul,  there  is  nothing  like  the  Bridal 

10* 


220  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFOBNIA. 

Veil  fall.  Near  the  top  it  is  pure  gossamer,  misty,  and 
ethereal  as  a  dream.  There  is  nothing  to  which  to  liken 
it,  for  there  is  nothing  like  it.  The  veil  of  gossamer  that 
conceals  yet  reveals  the  face  of  the  bride  has  more  the 
taint  of  earth  upon  it  than  this.  Lower  down  there  was 
every  changing  tint  of  the  rainbow;  now  concentric  and 
connected,  then  broken  into  a  thousand  fragments,  that 
chased  each  other  up  and  down  and  around  like  frolic- 
some children.  Altogether,  it  was  bewilderingly  fair  and 
lovely,  a  vision  of  beauty  varied  and  ever  varying,  that 
can  never  fade  away.  To  me  it  would  have  more  mean- 
ing as  a  type  of  some  of  the  beautiful  things  in  the  para- 
dise above,  than  streets  of  gold  or  gates  of  pearl. 

Turning  an  obtuse  angle  from  the  rock  over  which 
falls  the  Bridal  Veil  creek,  we  face  the  Cathedral  rocks, 
not  so  high  as  El  Capitan,  nor  so  grand.  They  are  enough 
like  a  cathedral  to  justify  the  name,  especially  when  seen 
in  connection  with  some  rocks  called  Cathedral  spires. 
These  have  different  aspects,  according  to  the  points  from 
which  they  are  viewed.  Sometimes  they  seem  to  be  con- 
nected with  Cathedral  Rock,  and  really  form  the  spires  to 
that  grand  simulacrum  of  a  cathedral  such  as  never  man 
built;  then  again  they  stand  distinct  and  alone.  The  walls 
of  the  valley  are  of  course  continuous;  it  is  only  the  prom- 
inent and  peculiar  peaks  that  are  named. 

Passing  up  the  valley  on  the  north  side,  beyond  El 
Capitan,  there  are  The  Three  Brothers.  There  is  no 
danger  that  these  brothers  will  not  dwell  together  in 
unity;  they  are  bound  together  by  a  bond  which  they 
cannot  break,  and  which  renders  discord  impossible.  They 
are  not  all  of  the  same  size,  though,  so  far  as  has  trans- 


A   TKIP   TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  221 

pired,  they  are  of  the  same  age.  Looking  at  these  rocks 
from  below,  they  are  said  to  resemble  three  frogs  in  a 
row,  ready  to  try  their  skill  at  leaping.  This  is  thought 
to  have  suggested  to  the  Indians  the  name  of  "  Pompom- 
pasus,"  which  means  "  Leaping-Frog  Rocks." 

On  the  opposite  or  south  side,  on  the  right  hand,  we 
next  come  to  Sentinel  Rock.  I  shall  never  forget  how  I 
felt  when  I  first  saw  this  cliff.  It  was  dai-k  when  we 
reached  the  hotel,  and  in  the  morning,  when  I  stepped 
out  on  the  verandah,  this  was  the  first  thing  that  met  my 
view.  It  looked  like  a  part  of  the  everlasting  hills  that 
had  been  and  was  to  be  forever.  It  stood  there,  a  grand 
mass  of  rock,  stretching  away  up  almost  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  and  then  on  the  top  was  a  slender  obelisk 
still  rising  heavenward.  It  would  seem  as  though  a  sen- 
tinel on  the  top  of  that  rock  could  see  into  the  very  gates 
of  heaven.  "  Wonderful !  wonderful !  wonderful ! "  I  said, 
over  and  over  again  to  myself.  I  could  find  no  other 
word;  there  was  room  for  no  other  feeling. 

At  Black's  hotel  we  seemed  to  be  exactly  under  the 
shadow  of  this  great  rock.  The  center  appeared  to  be 
directly  over  us,  and  so  it  did  for  half  a  mile  going  up 
or  down  the  valley.  I  noticed  the  same  fact  in  regard 
to  Yosemite  fall.  For  a  mile  we  seemed  to  be  exactly 
under  them.  I  suppose  it  was  the  effect  of  the  exceed- 
ing great  height.  They  were  lifted  so  far  above  us  that 
they  seemed  to  be  just  in  front  for  a  long  time.  At 
Black's  we  were  about  midway  in  the  valley;  there  being 
three  miles  above  and  three  below.  Behind  the  hotel 
Sentinel  Rock  raises  its  high  head,  as  though  it  would 
penetrate  the  heavens.     In  front  are  the  Yosemite  falls. 


222  TWO    YEAKS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

These  we  watched  at  our  leisure  as  we  sat  on  the  front 
verandah.  We  went  over  one  day  and  climbed  the  rocks 
to  the  top  of  the  lower  fall.  If  "  familiarity  breeds  con- 
tempt," as  the  old  copy  used  to  affirm,  it  is  only  true  of 
small  bodies.  Nearness  intensifies  the  greatness  of  the 
truly  great.  It  was  always  so  in  the  Yosemite  —  the 
nearer  we  came  to  any  of  its  wonders,  the  grander  and 
more  incomprehensible  they  seemed.  Looking  at  the  Yo- 
semite fall  from  our  hotel,  a  mile  or  two  away,  it  was 
hard  to  believe  that  it  was  really  twenty-six  hundred 
feet  —  almost  half  a  mile  —  high.  But  when  we  came 
near  and  saw  how  great  the  height  of  the  lowest  and 
shortest  fall  is,  we  could  believe  in  the  magnitude  of  the 
whole.  In  other  words,  by  dividing  these  unaccustomed 
heights  and  depths  into  fragments  they  were  brought 
within  our  comprehension,  and  by  taking  in  a  part  at  a 
time  we  were  enabled  at  last  to  grasp  the  whole.  I  do 
not  know  what  magnitudes  they  would  have  attained  had 
we  remained  long  in  the  valley,  for  every  day  they  grew 
in  size  and  grandeur.  The  mind  seems  to  require  time 
to  adjust  itself  to  such  unaccustomed  heights,  depths  and 
dimensions — just  as  the  eye,  when  it  has  been  closely 
observing  minute  points,  has  to  readjust  itself  before  it 
can  take  in  large  objects. 

The  view  from  the  top  is  said  to  be  very  fine,  and  I 
can  well  believe  it.  Crossing  the  river  again  on  a  bridge, 
we  came  to  a  saw-mill  which  is  turned  by  the  Yosemite 
creek,  which,  after  making  a  water-fall  that  astonishes  the 
nations,  and  surpasses  all  others  in  the  world  in  height, — 
a  water-fall  which  fills  the  eye  of  the  beholder  with 
wonder   and   the   heart   with   delight, —  is   not   above   the 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  223 

homely  task  of  turning  the  wheels  of  a  saw-mill  in  aid 
of  man's  invention  and  for  his  convenience.  It  seemed 
like  harnessing  the  war-horse,  with  his  arched  neck  and 
graceful  form,  to  the  dray,  and  making  him  do  the  work 
of  an  ordinary  cart-horse.  Yet  there  is  the  same  lesson 
taught  as  by  the  angel  who  could  fold  his  wings  and 
prepare  a  cake  for  the  servant  of  God,  faint  with  hunger. 
That  is  the  most  excellent  beauty  that  finds  its  end  in  use. 
Two  or  three  miles  above  Hutching' s  the  valley  loses 
its  regularity.  What  had  been  a  unit  becomes  triune. 
There  are  three  narrow  valleys  instead  of  one.  The  river 
Merced  runs  through  the  middle  valley.  The  Tenaya  fork 
of  the  Merced  finds  its  way  through  the  northern  valley,  and 
the  Illoulette  through  the  southern.  The  North  Dome  is  in 
the  northern  valley.  It  is  an  exceedingly  high  point,  which 
is,  as  its  name  indicates,  dome-shaped.  The  Half-Dome, 
on  the  other  side  of  this  narrow  cafion,  is  the  all-pervad- 
ing presence  of  the  Yosemite  valley.  Go  where  you  will, 
look  at  the  valley  from  what  point  you  may,  this  wonder- 
ful Half-Dome  is  always  visible,  always  grand  and  impos- 
ing. It  is  the  highest  point  in  the  walls  of  the  valley, 
outranking  El  Capitan  by  six  or  seven  hundred  feet.  Its 
top  has  never  been  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man.  Since 
Tissayac  forsook  it,  it  has  remained  solitary  in  its  grandeur. 
Nature  has  reserved  one  place  at  least  for  a  shrine,  which 
man's  profane  feet  have  been  unable  to  penetrate.  On 
the  side  toward  the  Tenaya  canon  it  is  exactly  vertical 
for  two  thousand  feet  from  the  summit.  It  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  a  perfectly  rounded  and  complete 
dome,  which  by  some  strange  convulsion  has  been  split  in 
two  and  one  part  lost.    It  has  an  appealing  look,  and  can 


224  TWO    YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

never  be  seen  without  the  question  arising,  "  Where  is 
the  other  half?"  The  impression  of  this  Half-Dome  is 
one  of  the  many  that  every  visitor  to  the  Yosemite  will 
carry  away  and  retain  as  a  permanent  possession.  It  is 
so  unique,  so  wonderful,  and  tells  so  unmistakably  of  con- 
flict. Not  so  massive  as  El  Capitan,  it  is  more  suggestive 
in  regard  to  great  changes  and  powerful  forces  that  have 
existed  which  could  rend  asunder  masses  of  granite  that 
look  as  though  they  would  be  a  safe  foundation  for  the 
heavens  to  rest  upon.  When  did  this  fearful  catastrophe 
occur?     By  what  means  was  it  brought  about? 

Going  on  up  the  north  canon,  through  which  the  Tenaya 
fork  runs,  we  came  to  Mirror  lake,  which  is  merely  an 
expansion  of  the  creek.  This  little  lake  is  remarkable 
only  for  the  perfect  shadows  of  the  wonderful  mountains 
and  hills  which  surround  it.  All  these  are  reflected  with 
great  faithfulness.  You  look  from  the  original  to  the 
picture,  and  scarcely  know  which  is  which.  But  there 
is  no  merit  in  this;  any  other  water  would  do  just  the 
same  thing,  if  it  had  the  same  thing  to  do.  The  remark- 
ableness  was  in  the  originals,  not  in  the  drawing.  How- 
ever, our  opportunity  for  seeing  it  was  not  of  the  best. 
We  neither  saw  it  at  the  charmed  hours  of  sunrise  or 
sunset,  which  are  said  to  be  the  times  when  it  is  finest. 
In  fact  we  did  not  see  it  when  the  sun  was  over  it,  for 
the  sun  was  out  of  sorts  that  afternoon,  and  did  not  show 
his  face  at  all.  Although  we  had  a  maiden  in  our  party 
with  brow  as  fair  and  cheek  as  rosy,  eye  as  blue  and 
hair  as  auburn  as  the  fabled  Tissayac,  even  she  had  not 
power  to  make  the  sun  come  from  behind  the  clouds  and 
show  us  the  light  of  his  countenance.     So  our  party  pretty 


A    TRIP  TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  225 

generally  voted  the  lake  a  humbug,  and  our  member  from 
Vermont  declared  that  he  could  find  more  respectable  frog 
ponds  at  home !  But  to  my  eyes  the  shadows  were  strange 
and  weird  enough  to  pay  for  twice  as  long  a  ride  as  we 
had  taken  to  reach  the  lake.  The  echoes,  too,  are  said 
to  be  wonderful,  and  some  of  the  company  went  out  on 
the  water  and  gave  utterance  to  sundry  unearthly  sounds; 
but  the  remarkable  echoes  were  gone  away  from  home, 
or  were  too  sound  asleep  to  be  waked.  We  heard  no  bet- 
ter response  to  the  noises  than  could  have  been  heard 
among  any  common  hills. 

Mirror  Lake  was  the  terminus  of  our  explorations  up 
the  Tenaya  canon.  We  returned  to  our  hotel,  riding  half 
the  way  through  fields  of  fern  that  grew  to  the  aston- 
ishing height  of  eight  or  ten  feet.  We  gathered  some 
very  pretty  flowers  as  we  rode  along,  and  brought  them 
away  as  trophies.  We  returned  to  the  hotel  and  resumed 
the  pleasant  task  of  watching  the  Yosemite  fall.  We 
coiild  never  tire  of  looking  at  it  any  more  than  the  wind 
could  tire  of  playing  with  it.  One  of  the  strange  things 
about  this  fall  is  its  vibratory  motion.  There  is  so  much 
water  that  it  does  not  break  up  into  spray,  but,  while  it 
is  scarcely  forty  feet  wide  when  it  pours  over  the  rock, 
it  widens  out  to  three  hundred  when  it  alights  upon  the 
projecting  ledge  which  makes  the  base  of  the  first  fall, 
and  this  great  mass  of  water  swings  back  and  forth  from 
east  to  west,  through  a  space  of  a  thousand  feet  in  width. 
As  the  water  falls  over,  there  are  masses  that  whirl 
around  like  rockets  as  they  descend.  This  is  thought  to 
be  owing  to  the  air  that  is  caught  and  mixed  up  with 
the  water.     The  Indians  called  this  fall  Yosemite,  or  Yo- 


226  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

hanu-e-ta,  which  means  "The  Great  Grizzly  Bear,"  which 
to  them  has  more  of  power  and  awfulness  than  anything 
else  in  the  world;  for,  after  death,  if  they  have  been  bad 
Indians,  they  become  grizzly  bears,  and  are  compelled  to 
live  among  the  snow  on  the  mountains. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  started  for  Snow's, 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  valley.  Until  a  short  time  be- 
fore our  visit  there  was  no  way  of  egress  from  the  val- 
ley but  to  return  and  pass  out  at  the  western  extremity. 
But  a  trail  had  recently  been  made  by  which  there  can 
be  an  exit  from  the  upper  end  of  the  valley.  As  we  in- 
tended to  go  out  that  way,  we  had  to  take  a  last  look 
at  all  this  part  through  which  we  had  been.  We  passed 
Glacier  Point  on  our  right.  This  rock  is  the  angle 
formed  by  the  south  caiion  entering  the  main  valley,  and 
from  its  summit  there  is  the  finest  view  to  be  had  from 
any  point.  We  kept  the  middle  canon,  through  which 
flows  the  Merced  river.  The  recollection  of  no  part  of 
the  trip  gives  me  so  little  satisfaction  as  this  ride  up  the 
valley.  The  scenery  was  so  wild,  so  wonderful,  and  in 
some  places  so  grand,  that  I  would  have  liked  to  give  a 
day  to  each  mile,  instead  of  hurrying  through  and  seeing 
the  whole  in  a  few  hours.  But  as  we  rode  Indian  file, 
and  there  were  twelve  of  us,  with  the  guide  thrown  in  to 
make  up  the  baker's  dozen,  no  one  could  stop  without  de- 
ranging the  whole  procession,  and  there  was  nothing  to 
be  done  but  to  go  on  and  try  to  be  satisfied  with  glimpses 
when  we  longed  for  lingering  looks. 

There  is  no  soi't  of  a  performance  that  this  Merced 
river  is  not  capable  of.  Now  it  goes  along  gravely,  like 
a  respectable,  well-behaved  river;  then  it  makes  a  leap  of 


A  MONSTER.     Pages  201,  202  and  203. 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  227 

a  hundred  feet  or  so  at  a  single  jump,  and  again,  tum- 
bling, tossing,  foaming  like  a  mad  creature,  it  goes  over 
or  around  rocks  as  lai-ge  as  a  house.  Sometimes,  after  ed- 
dying, bubbling,  boiling  away  as  though  an  immense  fire 
were  under  it,  it  suddenly  changes  its  mood,  and  runs  on 
with  a  hop,  skip  and  jump,  as  though,  after  all,  it  was 
only  in  fun. 

Whatever  of  wildness  one  can  imagine,  whatever  of 
picturesqueness  the  fancy  can  paint,  whatever  of  gro- 
tesqueness  the  thought  can  conceive  —  all  can  be  seen  in 
or  along  this  river.  These  antics  of  the  stream  were  not 
performed  in  silence,  but  were  all  set  to  music.  Some- 
times the  rush  and  roar  made  a  noise  almost  deafening; 
then,  with  the  nicest  diminuendo,  it  changed  to  a  pleasant 
humming  that  soothed  while  it  pleased. 

Personal  matters  claimed  a  part  of  our  attention  and 
sometimes  absorbed  our  interest.  The  trail  led  over 
rocks,  and  through  rocks,  and  between  rocks.  We  had  to 
scale  almost  perpendicular  heights  and  go  down  into  appa- 
rently unfathomable  depths.  Any  grades  that  we  had  had 
before  seemed  easy  in  comparison.  The  beautiful  azalea 
that  ornaments  so  many  places  in  the  valley  was  not 
wanting  here.  It  grows  larger,  is  more  graceful,  and  the 
blending  of  pink  and  white  in  its  flowers  more  beautiful, 
than  anywhere  else.  Its  beauty  seemed  to  soften  the  gen- 
eral roughness  of  the  scene.  We  reached  at  length 
Register  Rock,  where  we  dismounted.  Near  by  is  Lady 
Franklin's  Rock,  from  which,  looking  upward,  there  is  a 
good  view  of  Vernal  fall.  Our  guide  told  us  that  Lady 
Franklin  came  here  and  sat  many  hours  in  a  seat  which 
is   still   called   by  her  name.     From  here  we  could  have 


228  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

walked  across  the  gulch,  ascended  the  stairs  by  the  side 
of  the  falls,  and  been  at  Snow's  in  a  little  while.  But, 
not  wishing  to  lose  any  part  of  the  wonderful  scenery, 
we  rode  around  two  or  three  miles,  and  reached  Snow's 
in  a  nice  little  shower. 

After  eating  a  dinner  prepared  by  the  hands  of  the 
enterprising  Vermonter  who  presides  over  the  "  La  Casa 
Nevada  hotel,"  we  started  out  to  see  the  falls.  We  were 
between  them  at  Snow's.  The  Nevada  fall  is  half  a  mile 
above;  the  Vernal  a  little  more  than  that  below.  We 
made  our  first  visit  to  the  latter,  walking  by  the  side  of 
the  Merced  river  all  the  way.  In  two  miles,  measuring 
from  the  top  of  the  Nevada  falls,  the  Merced  descends  two 
thousand  feet;  so  that,  after  subtracting  seven  hundred  feet 
for  the  Nevada  fall  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  for  the 
Vernal,  there  are  still  nearly  a  thousand  feet  left  to  be 
divided  among  lesser  falls,  cataracts  and  cascades.  Many 
of  these  would  be  remarkable  if  they  were  not  eclipsed  by 
the  greater  wonders  in  the  vicinity.  Before  reaching  the 
clift',  the  plunge  over  which  makes  the  Vernal  fall,  the 
Merced  gathers  itself  up  into  half  its  usual  width,  by  way 
of  preparation  for  the  great  leap  that  is  before  it.  Then 
spreading  out  again  just  as  it  reaches  the  cliff,  so  as  to 
make  the  most  of  itself,  with  all  the  power  and  impetus 
it  has  accumulated,  it  plunges  over.  The  ledge  over  which 
it  falls  meets  the  northern  wall  of  the  valley  at  right  an- 
gles, and,  as  if  to  furnish  every  convenience  for  seeing  the 
wonderful  fall,  a  parapet  of  granite  breast  high  is  placed 
on  the  south  side.  It  projects  over  the  fall,  so  that  one 
can  stand  in  perfect  safety  and  look  into  the  very  face  of 
the  descending  water.     On  the  south  side  a  staircase  leads 


A   TEIP  TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  229 

down  to  the  bottom  of  the  fall.  The  descent  is  safe,  and 
when  down  one  can  see  into  the  very  secrets  of  the  water- 
fall. There  is  a  grotto  here,  in  which  ferns  and  the  del- 
icate maiden-hair  grow  in  luxuriance.  The  sun  never 
shines  in  there;  but  what  do  they  care  for  that?  They 
are  fed  constantly  on  spray  from  the  fall,  and  now  and  then 
a  rainbow  is  served  them  by  way  of  dessert;  and  their 
diet  seems  to  agree  with  them.  A  softer  and  more  beau- 
tiful green  never  was  seen  than  that  which  they  exhibit. 
One  needs  to  gather  one's  senses  about  him  when  down 
in  this  chasm.  The  roar  of  the  fall  iS  deafening.  The 
spray  is  everywhere.  It  fills  your  eyes  and  mouth,  it 
creeps  in  at  your  ears,  and  it  rests  upon  your  face.  The 
mists  are  about  you  like  wreaths  of  smoke;  you  can  hardly 
see  through  them.  Feelings  of  awe,  almost  of  dread,  creep 
over  you  at  this  wonderful  manifestation  of  power.  But 
we  were  unfortunate  in  one  thing  —  the  sun  refused  to 
shine;  so  we  did  not  see  the  rainbows.  I  shall,  therefore, 
borrow  the  description  given  by  a  friend,  who  was  there 
at  a  more  propitious  time:  "We  pass  down  an  easy  flight 
of  stairs,  which  have  recently  taken  the  place  of  a  rickety 
ladder,  and  reaching  the  landing,  we  pause  to  look  up  and 
around  us.  We  find  ourselves  in  a  beautiful  grotto,  formed 
by  a  huge  overhanging  boulder,  known  as  Arch  Rock. 
This  spot  has  never  known  the  sunlight  but  by  reflection. 
From  every  crevice  and  cranny  droop  the  most  exquisite 
bunches  of  ferns,  among  which  is  the  delicate  maiden's 
hair.  The  rocks  are  covered  with  patches  of  bright  en- 
ameled moss,  and  the  whole  is  kept  constantly  bathed  in 
spray  from  the  fall.  As  we  pursue  our  way  carefully 
down  the  uneven  path,  among  rocks  slippery  with  moist 


230  TWO    YEARS   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

earth  and  dripping  moss,  through  an  atmosphere  of  mist, 
which  hangs  about  us  like  gossamer  and  fills  the  gorge, 
looking  over  our  shoulder  we  realize  that  we  are  in  a  halo 
of  glory.  The  entire  background  is  one  immense  shim- 
mering, sheeny  curtain,  resplendent  with  prismatic  hues. 
There  are  rainbows  to  right  of  us,  rainbows  to  left  of  us, 
rainbows  encircling  every  tree  and  behind  every  rock.  The 
fall  itself  is  spanned  by  two  clear  and  inexpressibly  beau- 
tiful bows.  All  of  them  are  perfect,  not  mere  broken 
arches.  One  lies  at  our  feet,  or  rather  encircles  them; 
rising  upward,  another  spans  our  entire  form.  They  sit 
on  our  foreheads;  they  encircle  our  eyes." 

Loth  to  leave,  yet  compelled  to  go,  we  retraced  our  steps 
back  to  Snow's,  and  from  there  went  to  the  Nevada  falls. 
The  ledge  over  which  the  Merced  river  falls  here  reaches 
entirely  across  the  canon,  meeting  its  two  sides  at  right  an- 
gles. The  fall  does  not  cover  the  whole  width  of  the  cliff, 
although  it  is  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  wide.  On  the 
north  side  there  is  room  for  a  trail,  over  which  we  after- 
ward went  as  we  passed  out  of  the  valley.  The  Nevada  fall 
is  twice  the  height  of  the  Vernal,  and  is  the  grandest  of 
all  the  falls  in  the  valley.  The  Yosemite  is  higher,  the 
Bridal  Veil  more  ethereally  beautiful;  but  in  this  height 
and  volume  unite  to  make  grandeur  that  astonishes  and 
sublimity  that  overwhelms  the  mind.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  both  the  Yosemite  and  Bridal  Veil  falls  are 
made  by  comparatively  insignificant  creeks  that  come  over 
the  walls  of  the  valley.  It  is  only  in  the  Vernal  and  Ne- 
vada falls  that  we  see  what  the  Merced  river  itself  can  do 
when  it  takes  it  into  its  head  to  make  a  leap.  There  is  an 
obstruction  on  the  north  side  of  the  fall  which  causes  a  di- 


NEVADA  FALLS. 

(700  FEET   HIGH.) 

Page  -2.30. 


A   TRIP   TO   THE    YOSEMITE.  231 

version  of  a  considerable  volume  of  water,  and  makes  it 
tumble  by  itself  in  frolicsome  cascades,  that  come  leaping 
and  dancing  down  the  rocks.  There  is  no  difficulty  in 
going  up  to  the  very  foot  of  the  fall,  and  we  stood  there 
gazing  at  its  magnificent  power  and  listening  to  its  stu- 
pendous roar  until  we  were  fairly  drenched  with  the  spray. 

This  was  the  end  of  our  sight-seeing  in  the  valley;  but 
there  remained  some  outside  wonders  for  us  to  visit. 
After  being  very  compactly  stowed  away  in  our  inn  during 
the  night,  we  were  up  with  the  sun,  to  be  ready  for  an 
early  start  to  Cloud's  Rest.  This  is  a  point  but  newly 
opened  to  tourists.  The  trail  had  been  finished  but  a 
short  time,  and  only  three  or  four  parties  had  gone  there 
before  us.  Now  came  the  hardevst  climb  of  all;  we  were 
obliged  to  go  up  the  almost  perpendicular  ascent  of  the 
cliff  to  the  north  of  the  Nevada  falls.  We  thought  we 
had  seen  steepness  before,  but  this  quite  cast  in  the  shadow 
everything  else.  It  seemed  to  go  straight  up,  and  we  felt 
as  if  we  had  been  ordered  to  charge  upon  a  fortress  that 
had  been  founded  and  built  for  the  express  purpose  of 
keeping  out  all  invaders.  But  nothing  in  the  way  of 
climbing  was  impossible  to  Alek  and  his  compeers.  If  the 
Titans  had  had  these  mustangs  to  mount  and  carry  them 
upwards,  there  is  no  knowing  how  far  they  would  have 
gone  in  their  attempt  to  scale  the  heavens.  Up,  up  they 
went,  with  their  heads  almost  at  right  angles  with  the 
earth,  always  finding  some  sure  place  in  which  to  put 
their  feet. 

I  gave  myself  no  concern  about  my  horse.  I  let  him 
have  the  entire  responsibility  of  keeping  in  the  path  of 
rectitude,  and  gave  myself   again  wholly  to  the   task   of 


232  TWO    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

trying  to  keep  on  his  back.  Before  long  this  effort  became 
too  wearisome  to  be  endured.  I  dismounted,  threw  the 
bridle  over  his  neck  and  let  him  go.  Walking  was  easier, 
and  I  had  more  chance  to  look  about  me.  The  Nevada 
falls  were  in  full  view  on  the  right  nearly  all  the  time. 
On  the  left  hand  a  grand  mass  of  granite,  isolated  and 
apparently  perpendicular  on  all  sides,  reared  its  majestic 
head  more  than  two  thousand  feet  above  its  base.  This  is 
the  Cap  of  Liberty,  called  also  Mount  Broderick.  Inacces- 
sible as  it  looks,  it  is  not  altogether  so.  Persons  with  stout 
hearts  and  strong  sinews  have  climbed  to  the  top.  On  the 
south  Mount  Starr  King  makes  a  splendid  monument  to 
one  whom  all  California  loved,  and  whose  untimely  death  is 
still  lamented.  After  fairly  reaching  the  top  of  the  ledge 
the  trail  presented  no  uncommon  difficulties.  Cloud's  Rest 
is  the  highest  of  the  points  attainable  to  the  tourist  in  or 
around  the  Yosemite  valley,  being  ten  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  four  thousand  above  the  valley. 
Think  of  it  —  nearly  two  miles  straight  up  in  the  air  above 
the  daily  life  of  common  mortals!  There  is  no  difficulty  in 
the  ascent  except  that  the  attenuated  atmosphere  makes 
breathing  laborious.  The  view  was  fine  as  well  as  extended. 
On  one  side  we  looked  down  into  the  Yosemite  valley, 
which  lay  spread  out  like  a  map  below  us.  There  seemed 
a  strange  influence  over  and  around  us.  The  canopy  above 
us  did  not  wear  its  usual  look,  but  was  of  a  deeper  blue 
and  grander  aspect.  We  felt  that  we  were  nearer  heaven 
than  we  had  ever  been  before.  But  the  time  of  our 
transfiguration  had  not  yet  come;  we  must  return  to 
sublunary  things.  We  mounted  our  horses  and  set  out  on 
our  return,  retracing  the  steps  we  had  taken   in   going. 


A  TRIP  TO  THE   YOSEMITE.  233 

For  three  miles  we  went  through  the  "little"  Yosemite 
valley,  which  is  two  thousand  seven  hundred  feet  higher 
than  the  Yosemite  valley  proper.  This,  too,  is  hemmed  in 
by  columnar  walls  of  granite,  and  is  only  "  little  "  because 
the  other  is  greater.  It  is  beautifully  shaded  by  fir  and 
pine  trees,  with  tamaracks  interspersed,  and  is  carpeted 
with  the  greenest  of  green  grass.  This  valley  extends  to 
the  upper  edge  of  the  Nevada  falls. 

We  found  our  mule  Jocko  and  the  lunch  all  safe  and 
waiting  for  us  on  the  bank  of  the  Merced  river,  just  above 
Nevada  falls.  It  was  then  one  o'clock,  and  we  had  been 
riding  since  six  in  the  morning.  Of  course  lunch  was  a 
matter  in  which  we  felt  a  lively  interest.  The  company 
assembled  and  seated  themselves  on  the  grass  under  the 
shade  of  overhanging  trees,  with  the  murmur  of  the  flow- 
ing river  sounding  in  our  ears.  The  lunch  was  opened. 
Blank  astonishment  and  indignant  surprise  took  the  place 
of  pleasant  expectation.  Truly,  our  thrifty  Vermonter  at 
La  Casa  Nevada,  like  Mrs.  Gilpin,  had  a  "  prudent  mind." 
The  lunch,  which  had  been  paid  for  "sight  unseen"  was 
both  meagre  and  poor,  and  caused  the  only  burst  of 
indignation  shown  by  our  good-natured  party  during  the 
whole  expedition.  But  anger  was  useless  and  resentment 
was  vain;  neither  would  multiply  our  loaves  or  butter  our 
bread.  So  after  sitting  on  the  bank  of  the  river  for  a 
while,  watching  the  river  get  ready  for  its  great  plunge 
just  below,  we  mounted  again  and  started  for  Peregoy's. 

The  sun  had  found  its  rest  before  we  reached  ours. 
Supper  was  soon  ready,  with  its  toothsome  viands.  The 
cream  pies  that  had  haunted  the  memory  of  some  of  our 
party  all  the  time  we  had  been  gone,  were  not  wanting. 


234  TWO   YEAKS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

The  next  day  was  Saturday,  and  in  the  morning  we 
went  to  Glacier  Point  and  Sentinel  Dome,  which  gave  us 
a  ride  of  twelve  miles.  On  our  way  we  crossed  Bridal 
Veil  creek  only  half  a  mile  above  the  fall.  Even  so  near 
its  transfiguration  it  is  an  innocent,  insignificant-looking 
stream.  Glacier  Point  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  valley, 
just  in  the  angle  where  it  branches  into  three.  The  view 
from  this  point  is  by  common  consent  the  finest  to  be  had 
of  the  entire  valley.  The  Nevada,  Vernal  and  Yosemite 
falls  are  all  in  full  view.  The  Bridal  Veil  fall,  being  on 
the  same  side,  is  hidden  by  some  projecting  peaks.  The 
great  South  or  Half  Dome  looms  up  and  arrests  the  eye 
at  every  turn.  Mirror  lake  shines  in  the  distance.  Lem- 
on's orchards,  which  are  quite  large  and  contain  full- 
grown  trees,  look  like  patches  of  shrubbery.  Men  in  the 
valley  look  like  insects,  and  even  horses  can  scarcely  be 
distinguished,  except  when  in  motion;  yet  every  feature, 
every  lineament  of  the  valley  is  distinctly  seen.  A  project- 
ing rock  affords  a  place  where  the  beholder  can  go  to  the 
very  verge  and  look  into  the  secret  places  of  the  valley, 
if  the  nerves  can  be  trusted;  but  one  scarcely  wishes  to 
stay  there  long;  the  head  grows  dizzy,  and  the  heart  aches 
with  the  fullness  of  its  emotions.  With  a  lingering  gaze, 
and  with  such  feelings  as  arise  when  we  take  the  last  look 
at  the  face  of  a  dead  friend  whose  influence  has  ennobled, 
whose  aspiration  has  elevated  us,  we  turn  away.  But 
this  look  is  not  our  last;  we  are  to  have  one  more  view. 
A  ride  of  about  a  mile  brought  us  to  Sentinel  Dome. 
This  point  is  farther  back  from  the  edge  of  the  valley,  in 
the  rear  of  Sentinel  Rock.  From  here,  also,  we  had  a  view 
of  all   the   principal  falls   except  the  Bridal  Veil,  and  of 


A   TRIP  TO   THE   YOSEMITE.  235 

all  the  prominent  peaks;  but  the  sight  is  less  clear  and 
distinct  than  from  Glacier  Point.  We  strained  our  eyes 
to  see  what  we  feared  we  should  never  see  again;  then  we 
turned  to  go;  and  this  was  the  last.  This  magnificent 
vision  must  henceforth  be  a  memoxy,  a  picture  that  will 
endure  while  life  lasts,  and  always  be  the  symbol  of  power, 
of  grandeur,  of  glory,  and  of  immortality! 

Our  Sabbath  at  Peregoy's  had  an  added  pleasure  in 
the  arrival  of  a  large  party  bound  for  the  Yosemite  val- 
ley, among  whom  we  were  glad  to  recognize  those  whom 
we  had  known  in  other  days,  whose  presence  was  a  de- 
light. There  was  a  preacher  among  them,  who  added  to 
the  interest  of  the  occasion  by  holding  an  evening  service 
and  delivering  an  appropriate  sermon. 

Our  return  was  over  the  same  road  that  we  went,  and 
was  without  incident  or  adventure. 

Thus  ended  this  memorable  and  interesting  trip.  I  do 
not  know  anything  for  which  I  would  barter  the  experi- 
ences it  brought  into  my  life,  if  there  could  be  secured  to 
me  no  chance  to  replace  them.  To  be  sure  there  were 
fatigue  and  hardship  connected  with  it;  but  when  one  is 
paid  down  for  all  that  is  suffered,  and  paid  so  amply,  it 
would  surely  be  unreasonable  to  complain. 

The  circumstances  were  propitious.  Fellow-travelers 
were  not  only  agi-eeable,  but  generally  disposed  to  take 
things  as  they  came,  and  make  the  best  of  them  without 
fault-finding  or  complaint.  We  were  fortunate  in  our 
guide;  Captain  Folsom  was  familiar  with  all  the  localities, 
and  ready  to  tell  what  he  knew  to  those  who  wanted  to 
hear.  He  was  one  of  that  military  company  which  fol- 
lowed the  Indians  into  the  valley  in  1851,  and   therefore 


236  TWO   YEARS   IN   CALIFOKNIA. 

among  the  first  white  men  that  saw  it.  He  has  spent 
much  of  the  time  since  in  guiding  visitors  in  and  around 
the  locality.  Always  obliging  and  considerate,  he  is  es- 
pecially so  to  ladies.  Captain  Folsom  is  the  prince  of 
guides!  Let  those  who  would  see  the  Yosemite  aright 
secure  his  services,  if  they  can. 

I  cannot  close  my  narrative  without  also  saying  a  good 
word  for  Alek.  I  dare  not  commend  him  for  his  swift- 
ness, but  there  are  those  who  believe  in  the  old  maxim 
that  safety  is  better  than  speed.  To  such  his  services 
would  be  desirable.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  can  truthfully 
say  I  think  his  judgment  infallible;  at  least,  I  should 
not  compliment  myself  in  doing  so.  I  am  quite  sure  that 
to  this  day  he  looks  upon  me  as  a  chicken-hearted  indi- 
vidual who  habitually  carries  her  heart  in  her  mouth 
and  does  not  dare  say  her  soul  is  her  own  if  anyone 
asserts  to  the  contrary.  Differing  widely  in  opinion  on 
this  point,  as  I  did,  I  never  could  persuade  him  to  change 
his  views  and  come  over  to  my  belief.  But  even  this 
error  only  shows  how  much  persistency  he  has,  and  how 
great  a  regard  for  that  jewel,  consistency.  At  any  rate, 
I  forgive  him  his  mistake,  and  remember  gratefully  that 
he  carried  me  safely  over  frightful  places  —  up  and  down 
perpendiculars  that  the  uninitiated  would  have  pronounced 
impossibilities  of  accomplishment.  May  his  life  be  long 
and  his  shadow  never  grow  less!  and  may  his  last  days 
be  spent  in  green  pastures  through  which  run  streams 
of  living  waters,  so  that  he  may  eat  and  drink  at  his 
pleasure  until  he  lies  down  to  rest  with  "the  kings  and 
conquerors  of  the  earth!" 

No  one  can  see  this  wonderful  valley,  or  even  read  an 


A  TRIP  TO  THE  YOSEMITE.  237 

account  of  it,  without  wondering  how  it  was  formed  — 
without  asking  by  what  catastrophe  this  chasm,  which 
crosses  the  general  depressions  o(  the  mountains  at  right 
angles,  could  have  been  caused."  There  have  been  many 
theories  in  regard  to  its  formation;  but  Professor  Whitney, 
the  State  geologist,  is  perhaps  better  entitled  to  credence 
than  any  who  have  written  upon  the  subject.  After 
stating  the  three  ways  in  which  valleys  are  formed,  viz.: 
by  erosion,  by  fracture,  and  by  subsidence,  he  shows  con- 
clusively that  this  valley  could  not  have  been  formed  in 
either  of  the  first  two  ways,  and  must,  therefore,  have 
been  caused  by  the  third  —  subsidence.  Something  gave 
way  beneath  and  the  valley  sank  down.  In  other  words, 
the  under-pinning  broke  and  the  bottom  dropped  out. 
The  middle  part  was  swallowed  up,  like  Korah  and  his 
troop.  Subsequently  the  wash  from  the  mountains  in  part 
filled  up  the  opening  and  smoothed  over  the  surface. 
There  is  evidence  that  the  cavity  was  originally  filled  with 
water.  But  when  the  glacial  period  ended,  and  the  time 
for  drying  came,  the  water  diminished,  the  valley  filled  up 
until  only  a  narrow  channel,  in  which  flowed  the  Merced 
river,  was  left,  and  the  present  conditions  were  obtained. 
Until  recently  the  Yosemite  valley  was  believed  to  be 
altogether  unique  —  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  all  the 
wide  world.  But  another  has  been  found  in  this  wonder- 
ful region,  so  like  it  that  there  seems  to  have  been  one 
model  for  both;  only  the  scale  is  diminished,  as  though 
Nature  had  tried  her  'prentice  hand  on  this  before  attempt- 
ing the  greater  Yosemite.  This  smaller  valley  is  sixteen 
miles  northeast  from  the  Yosemite  in  the  high  Sierras, 
and  on  the  Tuolumne  river.     It  is  called  the  Hetch-hetchy. 


238  TWO  TEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

It  is  about  the  same  height  above  sea-level  as  the  Yosemite. 
The  valley  is  three  miles  long,  extending,  like  the  Yosemite, 
fi'om  east  to  west.  The  walls  are  not  so  high  as  those  of 
the  Yosemite,  and  everything  is  on  a  smaller  scale. 

There  have  been  many  improvements  made  in  the 
modes  of  reaching  the  Yosemite  valley  since  the  visit  was 
made  of  which  an  account  has  been  given.  By  four  dif- 
ferent routes  the  wheels  of  carriages  now  carry  the  tourist 
from  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  to  the  door  of  any  of  the 
hotels  in  the  valley.  In  consequence  of  improvements  in 
roads  it  can  be  visited  earlier  in  the  season.  The  time 
required  for  the  trip  is  also  less.  The  valley  can  be 
reached  in  three  days  from  San  Francisco.  But  let  no 
one  who  wishes  to  see  the  valley  well  stay  there  less  than 
a  week,  and  if  the  one  week  can  be  multiplied  by  four  the 
visit  will  be  all  the  more  satisfactory. 

The  expense  of  the  round  trip  from  San  Francisco  and 
back  is  estimated  at  sixty  dollars,  though  it  would  probably 
be  best  to  allow  a  little  margin  for  extras.  There  were 
three  thousand  visitors  to  the  valley  during  the  year  1875. 


PUBLISHED  BY  S.C.  GRIGGS  dr-  CO.,  CHICAGO. 
ANDERSON'S  NORSE  MYTHOLOGY;  or  The  Religion 

Qf  Our  Forefathers.— Containing  all  the  Myths  of  the  Eddas  carefully 
systematized  and  interpreted,  with  an  Introduction,  Vocabulary  and  Index. — By 
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gladly  avail  myself  of  your  help  and  guidance." 

Yours  truly,  F.  Max  Muller,  University  of  Oxford. 

"We  have  never  seen  so  complete  a  view  of  the  religion  of  the  Norsemen. 
The  Myths  which  Prof.  Anderson  has  translated  for  us  are  characterized  by  a  wild 
poetry  and  by  suggestions  of  strong  thought.  We  see  images  of  singular  beauty 
in  the  landscape  of  ice  and  snow.  Sparks  of  fire  are  often  struck  out  from  these 
verses  of  flint  and  steel." — Bibliotheca  Sacra. 

"Professor  Anderson  is  an  enthusiastic  as  well  as  an  able  scholar ;  and  he 
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subject  in  all  points  of  view.  It  contains  abundant  illustrations  in  literal  and 
poetic  translations  from  the  Eddas  and  Sagas,  .  .  Professor  Anderson's  inter- 
pretations of  the  myths  throw  new  light  upon  them,  and  are  valuable  additions  (as  is 
the  whole  work)  to  the  history  of  religion  and  of  literature.  .  .  It  deserves  to 
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States." — The  Presbyterian  Quarterly  and  Princeton  Review. 


AMERICA   NOT    DISCOVERED    BY    COLUMBUS.-A 

Historical  Sketch  of  the  Discovery  of  America  by  the  Norsemen  in  the  loth  cent- 
ury. By  Prof.  R.  B.  Anderson,  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  with  an  Appendix 
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Notes  and  Queries,  London, 


PUBLISHED  BY  S.C.  GRIGGS  &>  CO.,  CHICAGO. 
PRE-HISTORIC  RACES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

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PUBLISHED  BY  S.  C.  GUIGGS  &-  CO.,  CHICAGO. 

GETTING  ON  IN  THE  WORLD  ;  or,  Hints  on  Suc- 
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Price,  I  vol.,  i2mo.,  Cloth $2  25    I    Half  calf  binding,  gilt  top $3  50 

The  same,  gilt  edges 2  50   |    Full  calf,  gilt  edges 500 

Contents  :  —  Success  and  Failure  —  Good  and  Bad  Luck —  Choice  0/ a  Pro- 
yession  —  Physical  Culture —  Concentration  —  S.cl/- Reliance —  Originality  in 
Aims  and  Methods — Attention,    to    Details  —  Practical   Talent  —  Decision  — 

Manner Business  Habits  —  Self-Advertising — The    Will  and  the    Way  — 

Reserved  Poive) Economy  0/  Time  —  Mofiey.,  its  Use  and  Abuse  —  Mercantile 

Failures —  Over-Work  and  Under-Rest  —  True  and  False  Success. 

"  A  book  in  the  highest  degree  attractive,  *  *  and  which  will  be  sure  to  fay 
in  dollars  and  cents  many  times  over  the  cost  of  the  work,  and  the  time  devoted 
to  its  perusal." — Lockport  Journal.,  Netu  York. 

"  It  is  sound,  morally  and  mentally.  It  gives  no  one-sided  view  of  life  ;  it  does 
not  pander  to  the  lower  nature  ;  but  it  is  high-toned,  correctly  toned  throughout. 
*  *  There  is  an  earnestness  and  even  eloquence  in  this  volume  which  makes 
the  author  appear  to  speak  to  us  from  the  living  page.  It  reads  like  a  speech. 
There  is  an  electric  fire  about  every  sentence." — Episcopal  Register^  Philadelphia. 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  speaking  in  too  high  terms  of  praise  of  this  volume. 
As  a  work  of  art  it  is  a  gem.  As  a  counselor  it  speaks  the  wisdom  of  the  ages.  As  a 
teacher  it  illustrates  the  true  philosophy  of  life  by  the  experience  of  eminent  men  of 
every  class  and  calling.  It  warns  by  the  story  of  signal  failures,  and  encourages  by 
the  record  of  triumphs  that  seemed  impossible.  It  is  a  book  of  facts  and  not  of 
theories.  The  men  who  have  succeeded  in  life  are  laid  under  tribute,  and  made  to 
divulge  the  secret  of  their  success.  They  give  vastly  more  than  *  hints  ;'  they 
make  a  revelation.  They  show  that  success  lies  not  in  luck,  but  in  pluck. 
Instruction  and  inspiration  are  the  chief  features  of  the  work  which  Prof.  Mathews 
has  done  in  this  volume." — Christian  Era.,  Boston. 


THE  GREAT  CONVERSERS,  and  Other  Essays.- 

By  Wm.  Mathews,  LL.D.,  author  of  "  Getting  On  in  the  World." 

I  volume,  i2mo.,  306  pages,  with  !Map,  price $1  75 

'■'■  As  fascinating  as  anything  in  fiction." — Concord  Monitor. 

"These  pages  are  crammed  with  interesting  facts  about  literary  men  and  lite- 
rary work." — New  York  Evening  Mail. 

"They  are  \vritten  in  that  charming  and  graceful  style,  which  is  so  attractive 
in  this  author's  writings,  and  the  reader  is  continually  reminded  by  their  ease  and 
grace  of  the  elegant  compositions  of  Goldsmith  and  Irving." — Boston  Transcript. 

"  Twenty  essays,  all  treating  lively  and  agreeable  themes,  and  in  the  easy, 
polished  and  sparkling  style  that  has  made  the  author  famous  as  an  essayist.  *  * 
The  most  striking  characteristic  of  Prof.  Mathews'  writing  is  its  wonderful  wealth 
of  illustration.  *  *  One  will  make  the  acquaintance  of  more  authors  in  the 
course  of  a  single  one  of  his  essays  than  are  probably  to  be  met  with  in  the  same 
limited  space  anywhere  else  in  the  whole  realm  of  our  literature." — The  Chicago 
Tribune. 


Published  by  s.  c.  griggs  &-  co.,  Chicago. 

THE  WORLD  ON  WHEELS,  and  Other  Sketches.- 

By  Benj.  F.  Taylor.     Illustrated,     i  vol.,  lamo.     Price,  $1.50. 

"  Full  of  humor  and  sharp  as  a  Damascus  blade." — Presbyterian.,  Phil  a, 

"  The  pen-pictures  of  B.  F.  Taylor  are  among  the  most  brilliant  and  eccentric 
productions  of  the  day.  They  are  like  the  music  of  Gottsch^lk  played  by  Gotts- 
chalk  himself;  or  like  sky-rockets  that  burst  in  the  zenith,  and  fall  in  showers  of 
fiery  rain.  They  are  word-wonders,  reminding  us  of  necromancy,'with  the  dazzle 
and  bewilderment  of  their  rapid  succession." — Chicago  Tribune. 

"Reader,  do  you  want  to  laugh?  Do  you  want  to  cry?  Do  you  want  to 
climb  the  Jacob's  ladder  of  imagination,  and  dwell  among  the  clouds  of  fancy  fo^ 
a  little  while  at  least  ?  Do  you  ?  Then  get  B.  F.  Taylor's  World  on  Wheels,  read 
it,  and  experience  sensations  you  never  felt  before!  *  *  It  is  a  book  of  '  word 
pictures,'  a  string  of  pearls,  the  very  poesy  of  thought." — The  Christian,  St,  Louis, 

"Another  of  Benj.  F.  Taylor's  wonderful  word-painting  books.  ♦  *  In 
purity  of  style  and  originality  of  conception,  Taylor  has  no  superiors  in  this 
country.  The  book  before  us  is  a  gem  in  evary  way.  It  is  quaint,  poetical,  melo- 
dious, unique,  rare  as  rare  flowers  are  rare.  He  has  an  exquisite  faculty  of  illustra- 
tion that  is  unsurpassed  in  the  whole  range  of  American  literature." — Si.  Louis 
Dispatch. 

OLD-TIME  PICTURES  and  SHEAVES  of  RHYME. 

By  Benj.  F.  Taylor.     Red  line  edition,  small  quarto,  silk  cloth,  with  eight  fine 
full  page  illusirations. 

Price $2  00 

The  same,  full  gilt  edges  and  gilt  side 2  50 

John  G.  Whittier  "writes  : — "  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  see  the  poems  of  B.  F. 
Taylor  issued  by  your  house  in  a  form  worthy  of  their  merit.  Such  pieces  as  the 
'  Old  Village  Choir ^  '  The  Skylark^  '  The  Vane  on  the  Spire^  and  '  June^ 
deserve  their  good  setting.  *  *  I  do  not  know  of  anj^one  who  so  well  reproduces 
the  home  scenes  of  long  ago.     There  is  a  quiet  humor  that  pleases  me." 

"  Unless  it  be  Whittier,  we  know  of  no  American  poet  so  sweet,  tender  and 
gentle  in  his  lyrics  as  B.  F.  Taylor.  No  writer  of  to-day  sings  the  praises  of  rural 
life  and  scenery  as  eloquently,  and  we  do  not  wonder  that  many  of  his  poems  have 
become  classic.  The  holiday  volume  of  his  happy  verses,  Old  Time  Pictures  and 
Sheaves  of  Rhyme  is  a  very  eloquent  and  daintily  bound  volume,  and  comes  from 
that  growing  and  reliable  publishing  house  of  the  West,  S.  C.  Griggs  &  Company, 
of  Chicago.  Taking  up  this  handsomely  printed  book,  we  have  to  linger  on  the 
delightful  imagery  and  graceful  diction  of  its  pages,  glowing  as  they  are  with  pure 
and  tender  thoughts,  and  the  earnest,  indescribable  music  of  sunny  fields  and  rural 
joys.  *  *  No  one  can  read  it  but  will  be  the  better  for  so  doing." —  The  Albany 
Morning  Express. 


PUBLISHED  BY  S.C.  GRIGGS  &-  CO.,  CHICAGO. 
PICTURES  OF   LIFE  IN   CAMP   AND  FIELD-By  Ben;. 

F.  Taylor,  Author  of  "The  World  on  Wheels,''  "Songs  of  Yesterday,"  etc. 

i2mo,  cloth $i-5o 

"The  descriptions  are  singularly  brilliant." — New  York  Sunday  Times. 

"The  book  will  greatly  interest  large  classes  of  readers." — Boston  Gazette. 

"A  volume  that  embalms  such  stories  of  the  nation's  sorest  hour  of  trial,  cannot 
lack  for  thrilled  and  tearful  readers." — Chicago  Tribune. 

"The  war  annals  of  ancient  or  modem  times,  from  Csesar's  campaigns  to  the 
Franco- Prussian  war,  will  furnish  material  no  more  beautifully  wrought  up  than 
this,  by  the  word-artist  of  the  Great  Rebellion." — Neiu  England  fournal  of  Edu- 
cation. 

"Every  letter  is  replete  with  pathos  ;  every  description  is  a  power,  and  most  of 
the  anecdotes  touching  in  the  extreme.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  say  which  of  these 
letters  is  best,  but  taken  as  a  whole,  they  have  formed  a  book  that  will  live. — 
Chicago  Times. 

"The  beauty  of  diction,  amazing  life-likeness,  stirring  action  and  rich  coloring 
of  these  word-pictures  of  camp  and  field,  have  had  a  deservedly  popular  reception, 
.  .  .  The  art  of  the  writer  of  these  letters  is  marvelous.  .  .  Their  correctness 
as  to  facts  is  seldom  to  be  ouestioned,  and  the  beauty  of  the  descriptions  never." — 
Syracuse  yournal. 

PATMOS;or,  The  Kingdom  and  the  Patience.— By 

J.  A.  Smith,  D.D.,  Editor  of  the  Standard.     Square  i6mo,  cloth,  §1.25. 

"It  merits  universal  circulation." — Christian  Standard,  Philadelphia. 

"A  book  for  the  improvement  of  the  heart." — Christian  Guardian,  Toronto. 

"Admirably  calculated  to  challenge  the  Christian  reader  to  utmost  doing  and 
enduring  for  the  sake  of  the  Master." — Watchman  and  Reflector,  Boston. 

"No  one  can  read  the  nine  chapters  which  the  volume  contains,  without  receiv- 
ing a  new  inspiration  to  faithful  service  in  the  cause  of  Christ." — Zion's  Advocate. 

"To  earnest  seekers  for  higher  spiritual  attainments  the  author  has  rendered  a 
service  at  once  great  and  beautiful.  Originality  of  thought,  beauty  and  purity  of 
expression  and  graphic  delineation,  are  among  its  marked  features." — National 
Baptist,  Philadelphia. 


THl  TRINITY.— By  Rbv.  F.  H.  Burris.  With  an  introduction  by 
Joseph  Haven,  D.D.,  LL.  D.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.30. 

"One  of  the  most  unique,  sincere  and  thorough  discussions  of  the  subject  of  the 
Trinity,  which  we  have  ever  seen  .  .  .  we  commend  its  perusal  to  all  our 
brethren." — American  Wesleyan,  N.  V. 

"A  thoughtful  and  very  interesting  book.  .  .  .  Much  that  he  says  is  forcible 
and  inciting  to  renewed  thought." — Christian  Union, N.  Y. 


PUBLISHED   BY  S.  C.  GRIGGS  b'  CO.,   CHICAGO. 
PH-ILOSOPHY  OF  THE    PLAN  OF  SALVATION.- 

By  Rev.  J.  B.  Walker,  D.D.,  with  an  Introductory  Essay  by  Calvin  E.  Stowe, 
D.D.  A  new  edition,  with  supplementary  chapter  by  the  author.  Sixty-seventh 
thousand,     i  vol.     nmo.     Price,  $1.50. 

"  Though  written  with  great  simplicity,  it  is  evidently  the  production  of  a 
mastermind.  *  *  and  few  works  are  more  adapted  to  bring  skeptics  of  a  certain 
class  to  a  stand.  *  *  It  is  the  disclosure  of  the  actual  process  of  mind  through 
which  the  author  passes,  from  the  dark  regions  of  dcmbt  and  infidelity  to  the  clear 
light  and  conviction  of  a  sound  and  heartfelt  belief  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

"  There  is  in  many  parts  of  this  treatise,  a  force  of  argument  and  a  power  of 
conviction  almost  resistless. 

"  It  is  a  work  of  extraordinary  power.  *  *  We  think  it  is  more  likely  to 
lod^e  an  impression  in  ike  ktnnan  conscience^  in  favor  0/  the  divine  authority 
of  Christianity.,  than  any  work  of  the  modern  press." — London  Evangelical 
Magazine.,  England. 

"  No  single  volume  we  ever  read  has  been  so  satisfactory  a  demonstration  of 
the  truth  of  religion,  or  has  had  so  strong  a  controlling  influence  over  our  habits 
of  thought.  *  *  No  better  book  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  honest  and 
intellectual  skeptic.  It  is  overwhelmingly  convincing  to  reason,  and  leaves  the 
doubter  nothing  but  his  passions  and  prejudices  to  bolster  him  up.  *  *  Every 
minister's  library  should  have  a  copy." — The  Methodist  Protestant.,  Baltimore. 

"  It  fills  a  place  in  theological  literature  which  no  other  book  does.  It  is  the 
style  of  the  argument  which  gives  p»ower,  impressiveness,  and  perennial  freshness 
to  this  production.  *  *  We  have  found  in  pastoral  experience  that  we  could 
place  no  better  uninspired  book  than  this  in  the  hands  of  intelligent  doubters,  or 
in  the  hands  of  new  converts,  for  their  aid  and  guidance.  Those  who  are  not 
familiar  with  it,  will  do  well  to  procure  a  copy  and  study  it  carefully.  It  is  worth 
more  than  some  large  libraries  to  those  who  read  for  their  profiting." — The  Christ- 
ian at  Work.,  New  York. 

THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  HOLYSPIRIT;  Or  Phil- 
osophy of  the  Divine  Operation  in  the  Redemption 

of  Man. — Being  volume  second  of"  The  Philosophy  of  the  Plan  of  Salvation." 
By  Rev.  J.  B.  Walker,  D.D.  Fourth  edition,  revised  and  enlarged.  Price, 
$1.30. 

"  The  author's  former  able  works  have  prepared  the  public  for  the  rich  treas- 
ures of  thought  in  this  volume.  It  is  a  book  of  foundation  principles,  and  deals  in 
the  verities  of  the  gospel  as  with  scientific  facts.  It  is  an  unanswerable  argument 
in  behalf  of  Christ's  life,  mission,  and  doctrine,  and  especially  rich  in  its  teachings 
concerning  the  oftice  and  work  of  the  Spirit.  No  volume  has  lately  issued  from  the 
press  which  brings  so  many  timely  truths  to  the  public  attention.  While  it  is 
metaphysical  and  thorough,  it  is  also  clever,  forceful,  winning  for  its  grand  truth's 
sake,  and  every  vuay  readable.  The  author  has  wrought  a  great  work  for  the 
Christian  Church,  and  every  tninister  and  teacher  should  arm  hitnself  luith 
strong  iveapons  by  perusing  the  arguments  of  this  book.  It  is  printed  and  bound 
in  the  exquisite  style  of  all  publications  which  issue  from  Messrs.  S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.'s 
establishment." — Methodist  Recorder.,  Pittsburgh. 


PUBLISHED  BY  S.    C.    GRIGGS  6-   CO.,    CHICAGO. 

ROBERT'S  RULES  OF  ORDER,  For  Deliberative  Assemblies.— 
By  Major  H.  M.  Robert,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.    Pocket  size,  cloth,  75  cents. 

This  book  is  far  superior  to  any  other  parliamentary  manual  in  the  English 
language.  It  gives  in  the  simplest  form  possible  all  the  various  rules  or  points  of 
law  or  order  that  can  arise  in  the  deliberations  of  any  lodge,  grange,  debating 
club,  literary  society,  convention,  or  other  organized  body,  and  every  rule  is  com- 
plete in  itself,  and  as  easily  found  as  a  word  in  a  dictionary.  Its  crowning  excel- 
lence is  a  "  Table  of  Rules  relating  to  Motions,"  on  two  opposite  pages  which 
contains  the  answers  to  more  than  two  hundred  questions  on  parliamentary  law, 
which  will  be  of  the  greatest  value  to  every  member  of  an  assembly. 

"  It  should  be  studied  by  all  who  wish  to  become  familiar  with  the  correct 
usages  of  public  meetings." — E.  O,  Haven,  D.  D.,  Chancellor  of  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity. 

"  It  seems  much  better  adapted  to  the  use  of  societies  and  assemblies  than 
either  JeflFerson's  Manual  or  Cushing's." — y.  M.  Gregory,  LL.  D.,  late  President 
of  the  Illinois  Industrial  University. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  your  Manual  brought  into  general  use,  as  I  am 
sure  it  must  be,  when  its  great  merit  and  utility  become  generally  known. — Hon.  T. 
M.  Cooley,  LL.  D.,  author  of  '  Cooley's  Blackstone,'  "  etc. 

"  After  carefully  examining  it  and  comparing  it  with  several  other  books  having 
the  same  object  in  view,  I  am  free  to  say  that  it  is,  by  far,  the  best  of  all.  The 
•  Table  of  Rules  '  is  worth  the  cost  of  the  work." — ThoTnas  Bowman,  D.  D., 
Bishop  of  Baltimore  M.  E.  Conference. 

"  This  capital  little  manual  will  be  found  exceedingly  useful  by  all  who  are 
concerned  in  the  organization  or  management  of  societies  of  various  kinds.  .  .  . 
If  we  mistake  not,  the  book  will  displace  all  its  predecessors,  as  an  authority  on 
parliamentary  usages." — New  York  World. 

"I  admire  the  plan  of  your  work,  and  the  simplicity  and  fidelity  with  which 
you  have  executed  it.  It  is  one  of  the  best  compendiums  of  Parliamentary  Law 
that  I  have  seen,  and  exceedingly  valuable,  not  only  for  the  matter  usually 
embraced  in  such  a  book,  but  for  its  tables  and  incidental  matter,  which  serve 
greatly  to  adapt  it  to  common  use." — Dr.  D.  C.  Eddy,  Speaker  of  the  Massachu- 
setts House  of  Representatives . 


MISHAPS  OF  MR.  EZEKIEL  PELTER.-Hiustrated. 

12mo,  cloth Sl.BO. 

"  So  ludicrous  are  the  vicissitudes  of  the  much-abused  Ezekiel,  and  so  much  of 
human  nature  and  every-day  life  intermingle,  that  it  will  be  read  with  a  hearty  zest 
for  its  morals,  while  the  humor  is  irresistible.  If  you  want  to  laugh  at  something 
new,  a  regular  side-plitter,  get  this  book."— 7%^  Evangelist,  St.  Louis. 

"  We  have  read  Ezekiel.  We  have  laughed  and  cried  over  its  pages.  It  grows 
in  interest  to  the  last  sentence.  The  story  is  well  told,  and  the  moral  so  good,  that 
W«  dasidedly  liks  and  eommsnd  \%.'^-~Pa<^e  Baptist,  San  I^rantitefi. 


